


Tell Me Lies

by tiggertink08



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, no magic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-08
Updated: 2020-01-29
Packaged: 2020-02-28 15:58:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 45,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18759661
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tiggertink08/pseuds/tiggertink08
Summary: After an embarrassingly public misunderstanding begins a storm of rumors about famous model Adrien Agreste and the girl he was seen kissing, Adrien's father comes up with the perfect solution to save his reputation. A fake relationship.The only problem is, the longer the ruse continues, the more real feelings start to seep in, complicating what should have a been a simple and easy arrangement.Will something that started with an accident and a lie, produce something genuine? Or will all of the secrecy and deceit poison the well?





	1. Tell me sweet little lies...

Adrien's head whipped around at the sound of an indignant cry a few feet behind him, to find a fiery eyed Alya facing down Chloe and her gang of plastic friends. Adrien sighed, extracting himself from the conversation he'd only half been listening to and started to head in their direction. He was hoping to diffuse any tension between the ladies before they-

-caused a scene.

Alya, along with several other nearby partygoers gasped as one of Chloe's friends rather blatantly spilled her glass of red wine down the front of Alya's pale orange dress. The culprit pressed her fingers to her lips, feigning embarrassment while the rest of the group snickered.

"Oh dear! I'm so sorry. I hope that wasn't too expensive," she said, voice dripping sweet venom. "Though I'm sure an amateur reporter couldn't afford _real_ silk so it's probably not _that_ much of a tragedy."

Adrien scowled as he quickened his steps. He knew for a fact that Alya's dress was in fact real silk. A loan from an up and coming designer she had befriended recently who was hoping for some more exposure. Alya had hardly stopped talking about the talented Miss Marinette since they'd met. 

He could see the tears gathering in Alya's eyes even as she squared her shoulders, preparing to fight. She was the most stubborn person he'd ever known and sometimes had a bad habit of allowing her emotions to get the better of her. Adrien quickly swooped in, pulling her away from Chloe's mean girl clique and out of the ballroom before she embarrassed herself. 

He, Chloe and Alya had all known each other since they were children, though Chloe and Alya had never gotten along and Adrien was finding it harder and harder to find reasons to remain Chloe's friend. These days, he only maintained any semblance of a relationship with her because she allowed him to keep a room at her father's hotel as an escape from his own father when needed.

Over the years, that room had often served as his sanctuary, and right now, it was about to become Alya's.

His friend struggled and growled in his hold as he pulled her down the hall and towards the elevator. "Alya please, stop fighting. She's not worth it. You should know better than that by now. Nothing good comes from goading her."

"Ugh! That little bitch! I swear to God, when I get my hands on her, I'm gonna-"

"I'm going to stop you right there," Adrien chuckled as he dragged her into the elevator and punched the button for his floor. "For my own sake, I don't want to hear the rest of that sentence. Plausible deniability and all."

Alya scoffed, playfully shoving him off as she leaned against the wall, arms crossed and pouting. She slumped, the fight leaving her as the door closed and the carriage began moving upwards.

"My dress!" she lamented. "Marinette worked so hard on it and it was so pretty! The most beautiful dress I've ever worn and that bitch ruined it!"

"Hey," Adrien laid a hand on her shoulder. "It'll be alright. I've learned a thing or two about getting out stains over the years. We'll get it treated as soon as we get to my room to make sure it doesn't set in."

He smiled at her as she continued to look at him with a devastated expression. "Then I'll send it off to Nathalie to take care of. I swear she's magic sometimes, it's amazing the things that woman can do. It'll be just like new in no time."

Alya released a reluctant chuckle at that. "Yeah, she's definitely got some witchy vibes going on with that horrible, all black wardrobe. I don't know how your father stands having and assistant with such poor fashion sense."

They both laughed. "Well, I think we both know he doesn't keep her around for her style. She's good at what she does. That woman could keep a tornado in order."

The carriage slowed and the doors slid open with a ding. Adrien took Alya's hand and lead her down to his door at the end of the hall. Pulling a key from his pocket, he unlocked, and it held it open for Alya to enter first. Stepping inside, she stopped just inside and looked around with wide eyes. 

Though he'd told Chloe it wasn't necessary, she had insisted on giving him one of the nicest suites in the hotel for his personal use. _"I would never dare allow my Adrichou to stay in such a common room. My father only allows to most important people to stay here, and you my darling, are the **most** important."_

Adrien shivered a little just thinking about it now. He'd never been a fan of her various pet names for him, nor her unreciprocated affection. As they had gotten older, it had only gotten creepier, though most of the time Chloe only seemed to care about him when it was convenient, as though he were just plaything. Another toy among her vast collection that she picked up to play with when she felt like it, and left forgotten until it amused her again.

"Seriously Agreste?" Alya said, gesturing to the spectacular view of the Eiffel Tower visible from the windows lining the living room. The city below them sparkled with an array of lights in a magical way that only Paris could. In another situation, it might even be considered romantic. 

"Uh," Adrien rubbed the back of his neck, chuckling nervously. "Yeah... Chloe..."

"Say no more," Alya said rolling her eyes as she set down her phone and clutch on a table near the door and kicked her shoes off. "Got anything to drink?" she asked, sauntering towards the kitchen. "I could sure use a stiff one after that."

"Yeah, I'll pour you something. Why don't you go change and I'll have it ready for you when you're done." He gestured to the bedroom down the hall with a conjoining bathroom. "There should be some sweats and a t-shirt in the dresser you can borrow."

"Thanks." She smiled gratefully at him before heading down the hall he'd indicated.

"Whatever you do-" he called after her. "-don't rub the stain, just take the dress off and bring it to me."

"Whatever you say pretty boy," Alya waved over her shoulder as she disappeared into his room.

Shaking his head with a smile, he moved to the wet bar beside the kitchen and fixing them both a quick martini before rummaging through the cabinets for a clean cloth and some white vinegar. 

Alya returned a minute later, wearing a pair of his black sweatpants that she had to roll up a few times to fit properly and an old football jersey that stretched over her ample chest. He imagined his regular tshirts would've been even tighter and was grateful she spared him that image. He loved her, but she was like a sister to him. 

He exchanged her the dress she held out to him for the glass in his hand which she accepted with a smirk. Taking a long sip, she slipped onto a bar stool to watch him work. 

Spreading the dress out on the counter to examine the dark purple mark slashed across the front, he placed a towel between the layers of fabric to keep it from seeping through. Pouring some vinegar into a small bowl, he dipped the cloth in the pungent liquid and carefully dabbed at the stain until it was thoroughly saturated.

Satisfied, he stepped back and set the cloth aside, taking a sip of his own drink as he allowed the vinegar to do it's work. In a few minute's he'd rinse it out with water and hang it up until Nathalie arrived to pick it up later. 

"Thanks for saving me back there," Alya said with an uncharacteristic shyness. Her eyes cast down at the counter while she fidgeted with the glass in her hand. "I was about to make an ass of myself. I'm just getting started in my field, I can't afford to lose my cool in front of a crowd like that. Reputation is everything in my world."

Adrien smiled wryly. "Tell me about it." He knew better than most how important reputation was when one was in the public eye. It had been drilled into his head by his father since he was a boy. As much as he resented his father for his years of strict yet absent parenting, it was perhaps the most important lesson he had taught him.

"You know you can always count on me Al, but you've got to learn to control your temper. There are plenty of Chloes in the world, and some are a lot meaner than her."

Alya sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose where her glasses normally sat. "I know. I'm trying. She's just so- ugh!" She threw her hands up in frustration before letting them thud back onto the countertop.

Adrien shook his head with a ghost of a smile, remembering all the fights the girls had gotten into over the years. It was often quite amusing to see two such strong personalities clash like they did. "You let her get to you too easily. You've got to ignore her when you can. You know she's just trying to get a rise out of you."

Alya harrumphed, quirking a brow at him. "Easy for you to say _Adrikins_." He cringed at the nickname. "Chloe loves you. She'd never dare say a word against her _precious Adribear."_  

This time he visibly shuddered. "Please, for the love of God stop. It's beyond creepy."

They shared another laugh, spending the next half hour chatting while they finished their drinks before Adrien lead her back downstairs to let her out the back door and to call his driver to take her home.

"Thanks again Adrien. For saving me and the dress. I would've hated to tell Mari I'd ruined her hard work. She can hardly afford to waste such expensive fabric anymore than I can. She's still just starting out too."

"Anytime Al. I'll have Nathalie drop the dress off to your friend when she's finished with it." He was thoughtful for a moment. "Perhaps you can tell her to prepare a portfolio to give her?" Alya raised a brow as They reached the back door of the lobby which Adrien held open for her. "You were right, your friend seems very talented. I think it's about time I cashed in one of the _many_ favors my father owes me."

Without warning, she launched her self at him, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing his cheek. "You're the best! Marinette is going to be beyond thrilled, your father is one of her favorite designers."

Adrien chuckled, wrapping and arm around her lower back and returning her kiss on the cheek. He was about to tell her it was no big deal when he heard the familiar click of cameras. He froze, his stomach sinking as he looked up to find a small crowd of paparazzi hungrily snapping photos and shouting questions at them. 

"Adrien! Who's the girl? Is she your girlfriend?"

"Adrien! Is it true you've been having a secret affair with Italian supermodel Lila Rossi? Does she know you're sleeping with other women?"

"Adrien! Adrien!"

Before they could ask anymore intrusive and ridiculous questions, Adrien pulled Alya back into the lobby and slammed the door shut. Shoving his hands into his hair, he turned Alya, panic starting to settle in as she looked back at him with wide eyes. 

The Agreste PR machine worked at an alarming speed as always and Adrien and Alya were still gaping at each other in the lobby when his phone rang. Without looking, he knew who was calling, and that whatever conversation waited for him on the other end of the line wouldn't be pleasant. 

Blowing out a breath, he dropped the hand from his hair, tufts of golden hair sticking up wildly. "Well shit."

* * *

It was after sunrise by the time Alya finally made it back to the apartment she shared with her sister Nora, practically crashing through the door in her exhaustion. Nora, true to form, was already awake, standing in the kitchen as she guzzled a protein shake, dipping sweat from her morning workout. 

When she spotted Alya, she scanned her up and down with raised brows, dropping her glass to the counter with a thud. "Woah little sis. What happened to you? A little too much fun last night?" She stepped closer, studying her more minutely. 

"Why are you wearing boys clothes?" She cracked her knuckles menacingly, her lip curling. "Who is he? He better be good enough for you. I want names."

Alya barely had the energy to roll her eyes at her sister's overprotectiveness. "It's nothing like that. These are Adrien's clothes."

"Baby Agreste?!" Nora looked shocked for a moment, then smirked. "Didn't think the pretty boy had it in him. Brave man."

"Ugh, no, it wasn't anything like that I swear! For goodness sake, Adrien's like-" _a brother._ She stopped just shy of saying the words when she remembered the _very_ long meeting she'd just had with the Agreste PR team the previous evening. 

Adrien's father was none too pleased with the pictures that were already being leaked on the internet of the two of them kissing and embracing though it had all been perfectly innocent. It didn't matter what the truth was, what mattered was how it was perceived. As a journalist, she knew that better than most. 

_"There appears to be a new romance brewing in the life of Paris' favorite supermodel, heartthrob Adrien Agreste. Young Mr Agreste was seen attempting to sneak a young woman, dressed in what appeared to be his own clothes, out the backdoor of Le Grand Paris, late last night._

_"S_ _ources report Agreste was seen leaving a private function being held at the hotel earlier that evening with the same young woman, a Miss Alya Cesaire, an amateur writer, and moderator of the feminist blog,_ The Ladyblog _. The pair were then seen entering the hotels private elevator, locked in a passionate embrace, as they headed up to the deluxe suite Agreste reportedly keeps at the luxury hotel-"_

_At that point, Gabriel Agreste seemingly became disgusted with the article he had been reading aloud to them and had slammed his laptop shut. Even across the digital airwaves, through Nathalie's tablet, it was enough to make both young people jump._

_"I'm sure the both of you can imagine how that story ended," he snapped, glaring at them both through the screen._

_After Adrien had received the call from his father's assistant, instructing them both to get back to the privacy of Adrien's room and wait there, they'd happily followed her instructions, downing another martini each as they waited._

_They both expected to receive a lecture about discretion and image before being given generic statements to present to the press, denying any involvement. They would then each have to lay low and avoid each other for a time until the news blew over and the public moved on to it's next scandal._

_Thus, here they both sat, hands clasped in their laps and head slightly bowed, showing an appropriate amount of remorse to appease the Agreste patriarch until he'd finished his speech and they could move on._

_"Well? What do you have to say for yourselves?"_

_Adrien bit his lip, opting to stay silent. Unfortunately, with little else in her system beyond vodka and champagne, Alya didn't have as much of a filter at the moment. "Well it's hardly a fair assessment is it? **Amateur writer?** " She wrinkled her nose at the term. "I have a degree in journalism, and several published pieces. And **feminist** has such a negative connotation._ The Ladyblog _discusses way more than just gender equality-"_

_Adrien turned to her with wide eyes and flared nostrils, silently begging her to stop talking, while Gabriel scowled disdainfully._ _Alya sucked her lips between her teeth, swallowing the rest of her rant._ What the hell Al?! Not the time. Shut the fuck up and let him finish so we can get out of here and go to bed.

It was now well after midnight and the excitement of the day was beginning to wear on her. At the moment, she wanted nothing more than to go to bed. That wasn't to be however, as a moment later she was wide awake.

_"That's quite enough Miss Cesaire. You're missing the bigger picture. As a student of journalism, I would've expected you to understand that better."_

_"Father please, it's getting late, we're all exhausted. I'm sorry about the pictures, you know none of this was intentional. So please, just let us have our statements, tell us when we'll need to present them and let's all just go to sleep." Adrien tried to reason with his father, his voice even and smooth._

_"I'm afraid it's not going to be that simple this time Adrien," Gabriel said, repositioning the glasses resting on the edge of his proud nose. "This story has spread much faster than we anticipated, and mixed in with the accusations being made by Miss Rossi's camp, your image has already taken quite a hit."_

_"Fan's are already weighing in on your various social media accounts as well as the company's," Nathalie interjected coolly. "Some of the response is positive, but most is backlash from Miss Rossi's fans and most of it is directed at **both** of you, not just Adrien."_

_Beside her, Adrien swallowed hard, casting her an apologetic look. Her phone had been buzzing steadily on the  table in front of her for the last half hour. She'd wondered why; now she was afraid to know._

_"What do we do then?" Adrien asked._

_"I have a simple solution but it will require full cooperation, from both of you, for the next several weeks."_

_The pair exchanged nervous glances._

_"When the press have been cleared out from around the hotel, Nathalie will escort Miss Cesaire home so she remains unseen in her...current state. Beginning tomorrow afternoon, you will be set up with appointments with a stylist, colorist, makeup and hair teams as well as an etiquette instructor."_

_Alya's eyes bulged. "What on earth for?"_

_"You need to look the part. You're a pretty enough girl, but you need more polish if we're to pull this off."_

_Alya reeled back as if slapped._ What the- how **dare** he?! _She opened her mouth to snap back, but Adrien jumped in before she could utter a sound._

_"Father, we're both a bit lost here. What exactly is it you have in mind? What **part** does Alya need to play?"_

_"The part of your girlfriend."_

_"WHAT?!" The pair looked at each other in horror and mild disgust._

_Despite their obvious alarm, Gabriel was perfectly calm. "Miss Rossi is a manipulative social climber of the worst kind, and I will not have her connected with Adrien or Gabriel Brands in any fashion. However, denying involvement with both her and Miss Cesaire  would paint Adrien in a negative light and I can't allow that either."_

_"Consider this a mutually beneficial exchange Miss Cesaire. You help Adrien clear up his image, by pretending to be his girlfriend for a short time, and you gain more exposure for your journalism career and your blog."_

_"We'll put out a statement that the two of you are lifelong friends, easily verifiable, and that until recently, that was all you had been. We'll say that you have been carrying on your affair in private for the last few months so as not to draw unwanted attention to Miss Cesaire who isn't as used to the spotlight as Adrien. You've decided to make your relationship public in light of **recent events** and spend the next few weeks attending events together."_

_"When enough time has passed, we'll release another statement saying that while you still care for each other, Miss Cesaire prefers her more anonymous life and writing career, outside of the spotlight of Adrien's fame. You'll both state that the breakup was mutual and amicable, and the world will move on."_

_Alya slumped back on the couch, stunned. When laid out like that, it actually seemed quite brilliant. It was a way to shake off any rumors about Lila (how could anyone believe Paris' golden boy would go behind the back of the best friend he'd been in love with all these years), prevent Adrien from gaining a reputation as a playboy (the public was always much more forgiving of men in these situations than women after all…) and gain Alya some notoriety._

_Granted, it wasn't quite the way she had always **hoped** to gain her fame, but no one ever made it to the top with out a little help, and Alya was not above taking such help when it was so readily offered._

_"Of course, in order to pull this off, **everyone** will need to believe your relationship is genuine. Which means you can't allow anyone to believe that it isn't. Not even your family Miss Cesaire. Any hint of a trick, and it's all over. Understood?"_

_Alya nodded slowly, somewhat surprised at how well Gabriel seemed to be handling the entire situation. She had expected him to be much angrier. Glancing beside her, she could see Adrien seemed just as mystified by his father's unusual calm._

_"Ok. But... why do I need etiquette training?"_

"Alya?" Nora waved a hand in front of her sister's eyes looking concerned as Alya blinked herself out of her thoughts. "You alright little sis? You look like you haven't slept all night, perhaps you should lie down?"

Alya mentally moaned at the thought. Sleep sounded heavenly right now. She'd spent most of the night hammering out the details of her _arrangement_ with Adrien and laying out her schedule for the next few weeks. It was almost 5AM before they got the all clear to leave the building. 

She'd caught a glimpse of herself in a mirror as she left Adrien's room. Makeup smeared under her eyes, her hair tousled from running he fingers through it in anxiety, and dark circles under her eyes from lack of sleep. She looked a fright.

She knew though that now that the city was waking up for the day, it wouldn't be long before her family caught wind of the story and she needed to tell them before they heard it somewhere else and freaked out.

Sighing, she ran a hand over her face before gesturing to the couch. "Actually Nora, there's something I should tell you..."

 


	2. Oh no, no you can’t disguise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a short chapter to preface coming events and formally introduce our other main characters 😉
> 
> For those of you paying attention, yes the chapter titles are Fleetwood Mac lyrics lol

"So, wait. You're saying you've been seeing Agreste for the last few  _months_?"

Alya pressed her lips together and nodded as Nora stared at her skeptically. 

"But- you've been going on dates? With other guys. Not Agreste other guys."

"It was just a cover. For when I went to see Adrien." She was a little concerned at how easily the lie slipped out of her mouth, but was grateful for it all the same. 

Nora continued eyeing her for a long moment before Alya finally sighed, rubbing her tired eyes.

"Look, I'm sorry I didn't tell you before, but we weren't ready for it to be public. I'm telling you now before you read it somewhere else because things are probably going to be a bit crazy for a while."

"Al-" Nora pursed her lips, cutting off whatever she was going to say and shook her head.

"I'm really tired Nora. And I still have to have this conversation with Mom, Dad and the twins before I go to sleep."

"Fine. I'm supposed to be at the gym for training soon anyways. We'll talk later. Get some rest." She stood and walked to the bathroom to shower. "See you tonight?"

"I- don't know. The Agreste team is kinda working overtime right now to control the story now that we've been outed. I'm honestly not sure what they're going to expect of me."

Nora looked concerned, but didn't comment. "Fine. I'll see you when I see you then."

Once she could hear the shower start up, Alya quickly dialed the rest of her family, and luckily was able to get them all in on the same call so she could tell them once instead of three times. Her mother of course, had already heard, having been in the kitchens at the hotel last night, catering the party. She got much the same reaction from the rest of her family as her older sister, but they must've taken pity on her for her tired appearance and let her go relatively quickly.

Without bothering to clean off her makeup, or even change into her own clothes, she plugged in her phone and collapsed on her bed, promptly falling asleep.

* * *

Alya was woken sometime in the early afternoon by a sharp knocking on her front door. If knocks could have a tone, this one was telling her it wasn't the first time they had knocked and they were getting impatient. Pulling herself out of bed, she shuffled to the front door to answer. 

The door was barely open when she was practically barreled over as the Agreste's assistant, Nathalie, entered. She turned to face Alya, her eyes scanning her appearance before she turned and headed for Alya's bedroom without invitation. "You might want to shower, but you can skip washing your hair. We don't have time and the colorist will take care of it anyway."

"Wait what?" Alya asked, following the woman into her room. "What are you doing?"

Nathalie was rifling through her closet and didn't bother looking at her as she responded. "You have an appointment with the colorist first, then the nail salon followed by the stylist at 5:30. You'll be having dinner at the Agreste mansion this evening where the etiquette trainer will be joining to teach you formal dining rules."

Alya blinked a few times, not comprehending before her memories of the night before came back to her. For a few blissful hours, she had forgotten about the shit storm she had walked into with Adrien.

After a moment, Nathalie looked over her shoulder and seeing Alya still standing dumbly in the doorway, frowned. "Miss Cesaire, shower now. We're on a tight schedule," she snapped, returning to her task of raiding Alya's closet.

Snapping to attention, Alya moved to the bathroom and quickly followed orders, tying up her hair and stepping into the still warming shower. In record time, she washed away what remained of her makeup and the grime of the last 24 hours. Stepping out, she wrapped a towel around herself and opened the door to head back to her bedroom. She was met in the doorway by Nathalie who thrust a pile of clothing into her hands before bustling back out into the living room, phone in hand.

"Get dressed. We need to leave in five minutes."

Shaking her head, Alya again followed orders, quickly swapping her towel for a clean blouse and pair of trousers. She was just able to Bruch her teeth and slap on a coat of deodorant before Nathalie was ushering her out the door. The ever efficient woman had even been so kind as to transfer Alya's things from the clutch she'd used last night and into her usual purse, handing it to her along with her phone as they stepped out the door.

After locking up and trekking down the stairs to the street, she found one of the Agreste vehicles idling at the curb. 

 

Several grueling hours later, Alya fidgeted uncomfortably in her seat while a Madame Dubeau lectured her on the proper utensils to use for each dish. She glanced across the table, catching Adrien's eye. He grimaced apologetically while she returned his look with one that said he owed her. Big time. 

First, the colorist had turned her naturally curly, dark brown hair into sleek waves with a reddish tone and chopped off several inches of length so her hair now fell just below her shoulder blades when straightened. The nail salon had actually been the most pleasant experience of the day though her color choices had been limited to an Agreste approved palate of neutrals. Then her self-esteem had been shredded as the stylist picked apart her body, pointing out every single flaw she was already self conscious of, while putting together and Agreste approved wardrobe of outfits for her to be seen wearing with Adrien. The dress she was now wearing, was a dark olive green with a slightly lower cut and tighter fit than she was normally comfortable with.

Oh, and let's not forget the contact lenses which had been pushed on her in lieu of her usual thick, black framed glasses.

She felt like a completely different person, and she wasn't entirely sure she liked it. 

"Oh," Adrien interrupted, earning him a glare from Madame Dubeau which he ignored. "I almost forgot. Nathalie was able to get the stain out of your dress for you. I believe she returned it this morning."

Alya breathed a small sigh of relief. She hadn't been able to check her phone all day though she was sure it was full of messages from friends wanting to know what was going on after the pictures of them surfaced. No doubt Marinette would be among them. "Thank you. I appreciate it."

"It was the least we could do." Adrien smiled that sincere smile of his, and Alya felt herself relax just a bit. She may have known him since they were toddlers and viewed him as more of a sibling than a man, but even she was entirely immune to his charms.

"That dress," Gabriel interrupted from the head of the table. At this point, Madame Dubeau was scowling with her arms crossed and her foot tapping impatiently. "Adrien said a friend of yours made it?"

"Yes sir. Marinette Dupain-Cheng. She's an amateur designer. I believe she mostly takes commissions right now but she'd like to apprentice somewhere for a while before trying to start her own line. She already has a few impressive clients. She's designed for Jagged Stone and Clara Nightingale."

Gabriel sniffed at that, and Alya immediately wanted to slap herself when she remembered that the man had been designing for Nightingale since she started. No doubt he would be insulted to learn the singer had used an amateur designer over himself at any point. 

"Has she now?" he said cooly, returning his attention to his meal. "Well, her craftsmanship was rather competent, and the piece itself was sound. Have her put together a portfolio for me to review. It so happens I have an opening for an apprentice at the moment."

Alya felt her eyebrows shoot up and tried not to let too much of her excitement show. It was one thing when Adrien promised to have his father look over her friends work, and another to her the man say it himself. Marinette was going to be thrilled.

"I'll let her know. She'll be very pleased, she's an admirer of your work."

Gabriel hummed noncommittally, closing the discussion and Madame Dubeau wasted no time resuming her lecture while Alya and Adrien exchanged excited glances.

* * *

Alya strutted into the Dupain bakery the next morning wearing a giant grin. She'd been waiting to tell Marinette the news in person. She couldn't wait to see the young woman's reaction to finding out her favorite designer was interested in her work.

In the corner of the small cafe she saw her friend sharing a coffee with another young man. He turned when Marinette greeted her and Alya was momentarily stunned.

"Alya! Look at you. Hot mama!" Marinette grinned, eying her appreciatively. Next to her, her companion was doing the same. 

Now that he was facing her, she could see him more clearly. Warm brown skin, amber colored eyes and a smile that could give Adrien's a run for it's money. She bit her lip while he checked her out, doing the same, before she remembered she was supposed to be spoken for. A fact that Marinette reminded her of just then. 

"You sly fox. Why didn't you tell me you were dating Adrien Agreste? And for that matter, if you are dating him, why on earth are you asking me to dress you for a party instead of his father?"

It might have been her imagination, but she swore her companion's expression soured a little at the mention of Adrien's name. "Uh, it was a secret?" she shrugged.

"Psh, whatever. I'll get the details from you later. I won't torture poor Nino with girl talk. He gets enough of that from me already, poor guy."

Ah, the famous Nino. Alya had heard Marinette talk about her best friend many times but she had yet to meet him before now. She was both regretted and was glad that she hadn't. Marinette had mentioned plenty times what a great guy he was, funny, talented, sweet. Even hinted at wanting to set them up. She hadn't, however, mentioned that he was so hot.

Nino stood abruptly from the table. "That's my cue to leave. I gotta get to the studio anyways. See you later LB."

With barely a nod to Alya in greeting, he walked past her and out the door, leaving a bewildered Alya and a frowning Marinette. 

"Um, did I do something wrong?"

"No," Marinette sighed, gesturing for her to sit down. "He just gets weird about the Agrestes. He met Gabriel at some industry function and got totally snubbed. He's not a fan, and I guess that extends to his son now."

"Oh," Alya frowned, miffed on her friends behalf. "Adrien's nothing like his father. He shouldn't judge before he meets the guy."

"I agree."

"Wait, did he call you LB?"

Marinette rolled her eyes. "Yeah, he dubbed me Ladybug when we were kids because I'm apparently really lucky. The nickname kinda stuck."

Alya chuckled. "So your a ladybug and I'm apparently a fox. If we're comparing people to animals, Adrien would be a black cat. For all the privilege he was born into, he's probably the most unlucky person I know. Poor guy."

"Really?" Marinette asked with wide eyes. One thing Alya had learned very quickly about Mari was that she had a bit of a celebrity crush on Adrien. She'd never worried though that she might use Alya to get to Adrien, or Gabriel. Marinette was one of the hardest working and most talented people she knew. Traits she could definitely respect. Though, she supposed she could understand how Nino would think she was so lucky, especially given the news she was here to deliver.

"I guess that would make your friend the grumpy turtle, hiding away from the world in his shell because he's not a fan of the cat."

Marinette laughed. "I swear he's not usually like that. I wish though you'd told me about Adrien before I talked you up to him though."

Alya winced. "I'm sorry. We weren't ready to tell people yet. And to answer your question, his father didn't dress me because he didn't know. He's practically insisting on it now though."

"Uh huh. And what exactly happened the other night? I was a bit curious when Mr Agreste's assistant dropped off my dress instead of you. Then I saw the headlines."

"Ugh. I promise I'll tell you about it, but first, I have some news."

"More news?"

"Good news."

"What news?"

"Gabriel saw your dress and was apparently impressed. Apparently he's looking for an apprentice right now and he wants to see your portfolio."

Marinette blinked owlishly for a minute before squealing so loud, Alya had to cover her ears and her parents came running to see what was going on. 

"Shut. Up!" She lurched to the edge of her chair, slapping onto Alya's arm and squeezing excitedly. "Gabriel Agrest wants to see  _my_ work?  _Gabriel Agreste_?"

"Yeah, apparently," Alya laughed. "Do you have a portfolio put together already or-"

Before she could get the rest of her sentence out, Marinette was dashing from the room, overturning her chair and bumping into the bakery counter in her excitement. 

"Be right back!" she shouted over her shoulder.

Her parents smiled after her fondly before joining Alya at the table. "Thank you so much for doing this. You don't know what it means to her. She's idolized that man for years," Sabine said.

Alya held up her hands. "As much as I'd like to take the credit, this is entirely due to her own merit. Like I told her, Gabriel saw the dress she made and was impressed. He asked me to have her send him her work."

"Well, either way. She wouldn't have this connection without you dear. So, thank you."

"It's my pleasure. She deserves it."

"Can I get you something to drink dear?"

"A cappuccino would be lovely. Thank you." Alya smiled at the couple as Tom returned to his baking and Sabine moved behind the counter. "I also wouldn't say no to a chocolate croissant," she added, winking.

Sabine laughed and gathered the requested pastry for her as Marinette came barreling back down the stairs, a leather bound folio in hand. 

"I have been waiting for this day my entire life!" 


	3. Thunder only happens when it’s raining

"Chin up Miss Cesaire!" Madame Dubeau chirped as she watched Adrien and Alya waltz around the room. 

It was day three of Alya's etiquette lessons, and though Adrien had gone through all these lessons himself as a child, he kept Alya company at each of them as a show of support. Really it was the least he could do for everything his father was putting her through. 

She grumbled a bit, but was generally a good sport about the whole thing, and when Adrien wasn't able to actively participate in her lessons, he'd try to cheer her up by making funny faces or sharing commiserating looks.

Currently, he was practicing dramatic expressions every time his back was to the instructor, causing Alya to duck her head in a laugh. Thus she was being chided for not keeping her chin up.

"Shoulders back Miss Cesaire! Stand up straighter! Your hand should be lower, on his arm not his shoulder."

Alya sighed, rolling her eyes and slid her hand to his bicep before squeezing it. "Jesus Agreste. What kind of guns are you hiding under there? I thought models were supposed to be skinny?"

Adrien gave her a wry look. "You're telling me you haven't seen all of posters and billboards around town?" Generally speaking, he was larger that most male models he knew, but since the current fitness trends tended more to men with larger, more defined body types, his father was capitalizing on that look. 

The latest campaigns featured several ads where Adrien's shirts were wide open or missing altogether. He absolutely hated it, especially as he'd begun to attract even more unwanted attention from Paris' female population, but it seemed to be working as sales were rapidly increasing.

These days, Adrien was much more interested in the financial and managerial aspects of the business, but his father refused to allow him any more responsibility. It was as though all of those years spent in private tutoring and extra classes were for naught. To Gabriel, Adrien was nothing more than the pretty face of his enterprise. 

"Ugh," Alya said with a shudder. "With your ugly mug plastered on every street corner? How could anyone miss it?"

They both laughed, earning them a pointedly cleared throat from Madame Dubeau. Swallowing their laughter, they straightened their posture and looked over each other's shoulder to avoid bursting into giggles again.

Finally, after another tortuous half hour, the instructor called an end to the lesson for the day, shaking her head in disappointment. Once she was gone and they had both changed out of their dance shoes, they joined Gabriel in the dining room for supper.

"How did it go?" he asked, not looking up from the tablet in front of him as they took their seats. 

"Great," Adrien said, smiling at his friend. "Alya is a natural. Of course Madame Dubeau wasn't entirely pleased, but no one would have flawless posture and technique after only one lesson. It took me months to get it right."

"So long as she can dance tolerably at the gala next week."

"She'll do great," Adrien assured with a wink while Alya beamed proudly.

"Careful Agreste, you're going to give me a big head with all these compliments."

"Miss Cesaire," Gabriel said, still not bothering to lift his head to look at her. "Please refrain from referring to my son as 'Agreste', particularly in company. It gives the wrong impression. His name is Adrien." He paused for a moment. "In fact, it may be best if you started using... pet names."

"Agreste is his pet name," she said flatly. This time Gabriel did look at her, glaring over the rim of his glasses, as Adrien snickered. Alya raised a brow at her friend, smirking. "Fine then, _Adribear._ " 

Adrien grimaced, gagging a little. "Come on Al, be kind."

She chuckled. "Ok..... chaton."

"Kitten? Really?"

"What, it's fitting? You're le chat noir. Mr Unlucky."

Adrien pouted. "Well if I'm a cat, what does that make you, little miss nosey? Isn't the phrase 'curiosity killed the _cat'_?"

"Ah, but 'satisfaction brought it back.'" She laughed again. "Well, according to Marinette, I'm a fox. I think Vixen is quite appropriate." She waggled her eyebrows suggestively. 

Adrien gave her a dry look. "No. If I get a cutesy nickname, so do you, renarde. Oh! That's it! If I'm chaton, you're renette."

"You know that's not what you call a baby fox right?"

"I know, but it's way cuter sounding than renardeau." 

Alya opened her mouth to argue but they were interrupted by Gabriel. "Speaking of your friend Marinette, Nathalie gave me her portfolio. It's quite good for someone of her experience. Of course, she could benefit from much more instruction, but she shows promise."

Alya sat up a little straighter. "You liked it?"

"She obviously has some talent." 

Adrien shook his head. He was quite sure hell would freeze over before his father ever actually admitted to admiring another designers work.

"Does that mean she has a job?"

"Yes. She'll be working directly under me where she can get the most hands on training. In a few years time, she may have the skills to work independently under the label." He sounded bored as he continued to flip through whatever report or article he was reading. "Nathalie should be contacting her soon, if not currently."

Adrien rolled his eyes at his father's arrogance and presumption that the girl would accept the position. Of course, she'd be a fool not to, but that wasn't the point. Across from him Alya was fairly dancing in her seat with excitement. 

Sure enough, as Adrien was walking Alya to the car waiting to take her home, her phone rang. She squeaked, waving the screen in front of his face before answering. An ear piercing squeal could be heard through the speaker, Alya holding it away from her as though she expected this exact greeting. 

"Hey girl!... yeah Gabriel just told me. Congratulations!... Oh please, I may have gotten you the intro, but your talent got you the job... Absolutely! We should celebrate!... Yeah, yeah, I'll bring Adrien, you bring your friend, we'll make it a double date.... You know what I mean- but, maybe don't tell him we're coming?... well given the reception I got the last time I met him... Ha ha! Ok, yeah. Just let me know where you want to go and I'll meet you there after work?... Sounds great girl. I'll talk to you later... bye!"

She hung up and grinned at Adrien who returned her smile. "I take it she's excited?"

"Oh my God, you have no idea. This is like a dream come true for her. Thank you."

Adrien waved her off. "Like you said, I got the introduction, your friend's talent did the rest."

"That it did. I'm so proud of her. She's going to be amazing. I'm sure it won't be long before people start recognizing her talent."

"So, we're going out to celebrate?"

"Duh. We don't have any events scheduled until Saturday right? I think she wants to get together Friday night?"

"Should be fine... with her friend?" he quirked a brow when she suddenly blushed. Did Alya have a crush?

"Uh, yeah. Her best friend Nino."

"Hmm. Didn't sound like you two really get along. What was that comment about the 'reception you got last time'?"

"Oh, well... we didn't really have the best first meeting. Apparently he works in the industry too? A photographer I think she said? Anyway, he's not your dad's biggest fan, and well-"

"He's not much a fan of me either?" Adrien guessed. It wouldn't be the first time someone had prejudged him because of his father. 

Alya cringed apologetically. "Yeah, well, he's Mari's best friend and she swears he's a cool guy. I'm sure it'll be fine. Besides, I'm pretty sure you could charm the pants off anyone... literally."

Adrien snorted. "Gee, thanks. Well, I guess just let me know what the plans are. I'll have to run it by Nat but it should be fine."

"Ok. I'll see you tomorrow. Good night!" She leaned up on her tip toes to kiss his cheek before sliding into the back of the car.

* * *

Friday night Adrien and Alya arrived together at Porte Rouge a little after night fall. The place was filing up quickly and there was already a line at the door, which they had luckily been able to bypass thanks to Adrien's celebrity. 

"She should be here already," Alya said, glancing around the small club and checking her phone. "I have to use the restroom, I'll see if I can find her on the way. Why don't you grab us drinks and find a table. They'll let us in VIP won't they?"

"They should. There's still plenty tables up there. What would you like?"

"Hmm. Vodka soda for now I think. But I'd like to get a bottle of champagne once we're all together."

"I'll take care of it. You go on." He watched Alya disappear as he made his way to the entrance to the VIP level. Several people stopped him for pictures along the way which he politely posed for before being let past the velvet rope. He let the bouncer know three people would be joining him and gave their names before heading to the bar.

Just as he started to step up to an empty section at the counter, a small, dark hair woman spun around, drink in hand and slammed right into him. Reflexively, his hands shot out to catch her as she started to fall backwards, steadying her on her feet. The martini in her hand sloshed liquid all over his shirt, but he didn't notice as she looked him in the eye,  stealing the breath from him lungs.

He stared back at her with wide eyes and parted lips. All around him, the world seemed to stop, then bleed away all together as he felt himself drowning in those deep blue irises. The skin of his palms tingled where he touched her, his blood seeming to sing in his veins, and he idly wondered if this is what love at first sight felt like. 

A second passed that felt more like an eternity before she blinked, breaking the spell. Her eyes dropped to his soaked shirt and her hands flew up to cover her mouth, effectively spilling the remainder of her martini on him as well. 

"Oh my God! I'm so sorry! I'm such a klutz." Dropping her now empty glass on the bar, she grabbed a hand full of napkins, turning back to begin trying to mop up the liquid splashed across his chest.

She continued to babble and apologize, though Adrien didn't hear a word. His hands and jaw were clenched tightly as he tried to fight his bodies reaction to her touch. He was a model for God's sake. He was used to people touching him in all sorts of places, but as innocent as this all was in reality, it felt oddly intimate to him. 

"Oh good, you found her!" Alya appeared at his side, smiling. 

"Huh?" Adrien frowned at her in confusion. _Oh right._ He was supposed to be here with his 'girlfriend' to celebrate her friend's new job.

"Adrien, this is Marinette. Mari- well, you know who this is."

A rock dropped into the pit of Adrien's stomach as her words registered. He looked back down at the pretty young woman before him, and resisted the urge to rub the sudden ache in his chest. _Well shit. This just got a lot more complicated._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More Fleetwood lyrics for the title. I chose these because of the “thunderclap” moment between Mari and Adrien.  
> Hope you enjoyed!


	4. Players only love you when they’re playing

"M-Marinette?" Adrien repeated dumbly. Alya lifted a brow, eyes darting discreetly to where his hands were somehow still resting on her waist.

Yanking his hands away, he cleared his throat, forcing his public persona to the surface. Turning a brilliant smile on the young woman, he started over. "Yes, of course! The famous Miss Marinette. Alya's told me so much about you. It's a pleasure to meet you, my lady." 

Alya cocked her head to the side curiously at the endearment that slipped out of his mouth, and then, for some ungodly reason, his brain seemed to decide that bowing over the woman's hand was a tremendous idea. 

When he was standing again, he noted with some satisfaction that Marinette was blushing, while Alya smothered a laugh with her hand. Somehow she made the gesture seem as though she were embarrassed and hiding a scowl rather than a smile, which he supposed worked for their cover. 

Mentally kicking himself, he let go of Marinette's hand and tried once again, to start over. "I-uh, understand you're quite the designer. My father certainly seemed impressed with your work. Which is no mean feat, let me tell you."

Marinette's red cheeks darkened even farther, long lashes fluttering as her gaze dropped to the floor. "Th-thanks. I'm so grateful for the opportunity to work with him. He's always been one of my favorite designers."

_Ha. Yeah, well... never meet your heroes right?_ Adrien smirked internally. The poor girl had no idea what she was getting herself into. Gabriel Agreste was notoriously difficult to work with.

"He's lucky to have you," he said sincerely. 

Alya slid to his side, clearing her throat and jabbing him with her elbow as she linked her arm through his. Adrien jerked and blinked, realizing he'd been staring again. Really though, how could he not? He may work with literal supermodels everyday, but Marinette was, hands down, one of the most beautiful women he'd ever met. 

His eyes skimmed again over her delicate, exotic features: raven hair; large, blue, slightly upturned eyes; pouty lips and a dusting of freckles over her cheeks. Even though she was clearly wearing makeup, Adrien could tell that she was a natural beauty. From experience, he was willing to bet that even without the enhancements, she was still a stunner. 

Though she was blushing furiously at his attention, Marinette bit her lip and met his gaze head on. A part of him admired that, and preened slightly at the idea that she may be as attracted to him as he was to her. 

Her gaze caught on something to his left, and a wide smile spread over her face, causing Adrien's breath to catch. _Lord, she was gorgeous._  

"You made it! I was beginning to wonder where you were."

Adrien turned to find a good looking man, about his age and height, with dark skin and unsettling amber eyes that were currently staring him down hard. Marinette threw her arms around his neck, affectionately kissing his cheek and sending an irrational flash of jealousy through Adrien. The man wrapped an arm around her back and hugged her back though his eyes never left Adrien as he continued to glare.

Adrien could only assume this was the friend Alya had mentioned that wasn't particularly fond of him despite having never met him. Judging by the look on his face, Adrien guessed he'd been standing there watching them for longer than any of them had realized and had no doubt seen the feelings Adrien had been unsuccessful in hiding upon first meeting his friend. 

_What a great start to the evening..._

"Nino, you remember my friend Alya? This is her boyfriend, Adrien Agreste. Adrien, this is my best friend Nino." Marinette smiled through introductions, gesturing between the three of them. 

Using his most pleasant smile, Adrien held out his hand. "Nice to meet you man."

Nino glared down at Adrien's hand, a sneer momentarily crossing his face before his expression cleared again. Without a word, Nino's eyes darted back to his as he inclined he jerked his chin upward once, ignoring the offered hand.

_Right._

It was only years in the spotlight that kept his smile from slipping as Adrien withdrew his hand, casually tucking it into his pocket. "So," he said, glancing at the two ladies. "Now that we're all here, shall we get a table?"

"Great idea!" Alya said brightly, practically dragging him to a velvet booth nearby. 

As soon as they sat down, a pretty, brunette waitress materialized, smiling flirtatiously at Adrien while ignoring his companions. "Welcome to Porte Rouge," she purred, angling her body so her cleavage was on full display. "Can I get you anything to drink Adrien? Perhaps some bottle service? We have a special on Belvedere tonight."

Adrien cringed internally at her familiarity in using his first name. He'd always hated when people presumed to know him simply because they recognized his face from magazines or billboards. It made him uncomfortable.

Pasting on a polite smile, he kept his eyes firmly on her dark green ones, ignoring the way she tried to push her body into his view, "Thank you miss-"

"Lila," the blonde interrupted, though Adrien hadn't been asking for her name. His smile strained. 

"-Lila. Perhaps later. For now, I'll have a whiskey, neat; my f-girlfriend would like a vodka soda..." He turned to Marinette, recalling the martini she'd spilled on him earlier. "A cosmo?" she nodded with a smile, and he turned his gaze on Nino, brow arched in question. "And..."

Nino glared at him for a moment before addressing the waitress. "Tequila sprite."

Adrien turned back to Lila to make sure she'd caught all of that. She nodded and smiled at him some more. "Absolutely. Anything else I can get you?"

"Water, please. And a bottle of champagne and four glasses for the table."

"Of course, Adrien. Any preference? We have Moet, Vueve, Dom Perignon-"

"Surprise me," Adrien said, handing her his card.

She winked before sauntering off. "Sure thing."

"Oh, you didn't need to do that," Marinette said, another pretty blush staining her cheeks. 

Adrien waved her off with his most charming smile, remembering to slip back into the role he was meant to be playing. "Nonsense. It's not a celebration without a bit of bubbly." His hand landed on Alya's leg though he was careful to keep it respectful and not too suggestive. 

"Isn't that right Renette?" he purred, leaning into her ear with a smile.

She stiffened for a moment before relaxing into her own roll. "Of course Chaton," she replied, tapping his nose playfully. 

"Aw, you guys are so cute!" Marinette cried beside her friend. She slapped Alya on the arm, pouting adorably. "I still can't believe you didn't tell me you were dating."

Beside her, Nino leaned back in his seat, legs splayed and arms crossed over a surprisingly muscular chest wrapped in a gray Henley, continuing to glare at Adrien and Alya. He didn't miss the way Alya's eyes darted down to follow his movement, sucking her bottom lip between her teeth. 

He held back a snort of amusement as he realized he may not be the only one harboring a crush on someone else. Perhaps it would be something else they'd commiserate over together while they waited out this gossip storm.

"Sorry girl. It wasn't personal, I swear," Alya replied to her friend, shaking herself out of her ogling. 

"I know. Just would've been nice to hear it from you rather than the papers."

Both Adrien and Alya winced at that. Adrien, not having many friends or family, really only had his friend Kagami to tell, where as poor Alya had several people to spring the news on. 

He'd received an irate visit from Chloe the day the story broke. She'd stormed, uninvited, into his suite while he was attempting to recover some of his lost sleep from the previous night. She screamed and railed him for several minutes, while pacing back in forth in front of his bed. 

He'd grumpily listened to her complain and insist the story was false, while trying not to fall asleep sitting up. As soon as she began insulting Alya however, he'd thrown her out, threatening to end their friendship if she continued saying such things. She'd huffed and pouted, attempting to sway him with fake tears but he wasn't having any of it. She'd finally left after giving him a very insincere apology and storming back out the door.

He grimaced just remembering it now. He was very thankful Alya hadn't been there to witness it, or there surely would've been a fight. 

Something that sounded suspiciously like a growl, coming from Nino's general direction, pulled him from his thoughts, and alerted him that he'd been again staring at Marinette, even leaning in her direction, so that Alya had to lean as well. Her face said 'what the fuck?' but he could see the amusement dancing in her eyes. She'd definitely be teasing him mercilessly about his behavior later.

Coughing slightly, Adrien sat up, raising his arm to rest along the back of the couch behind Alya's back. She smiled, leaning in and angling her head so her hair would block them from the view of their friends. 

"Get it together Agreste," she hissed. "I know she's pretty and all, but come on. You're practically drooling like a puppy with a new toy."

He scowled at her amused censure, his face quickly blanking into his usually casual expression as the waitress returned with their drinks and the bottle of champagne. They all watched as she popped the cork, pouring and distributing glasses for all of them before putting the bottle on ice. 

The waitress leaned in, her breasts brushing Adrien's shoulder as she spoke in his ear. "Would you like me to keep your tab open Adrien?"

"Uh- yeah sure," he waved her off with barely a glance. He figured he'd leave the tab open in case the girls wanted another drink after they finished the champagne and the drinks they'd ordered. 

"Sure," Lila said seductively. "Just let me know if you need anything else, darling." She stood, still pushing her cleavage in his face and trailed a finger up his bicep and over his shoulder as she walked away. 

Adrien shivered, shifting his body away with a cringe, which Nino seemed to watch with interest. He hated when people touched him, uninvited, outside of work. It was a necessary part of modeling sometimes in order to capture the shots photographers were after, but he didn't relish being pawed by fans when not on set.

His mind flashed back to a few minutes ago and his body heated as he remembered Marinette attempting to mop up her spilled drink from his shirt. She'd also been touching him uninvited, but it was different with her. Her actions had been innocent and unintentional, and her touch had been... invigorating. Arousing, even. 

Shaking off his thoughts, he grabbed his champagne as Alya toasted her friend. "To new opportunities. And to Marinette who's going to be the most kickass design apprentice the fashion world has ever seen!"

"Hells yeah," Nino chimed in, finally smiling. 

"Hear, hear," Adrien agreed, raising his glass to the pretty, blushing woman and taking a sip. 

She seemed to have been blushing the entire time since he'd first laid eyes on her, but Adrien couldn't help but think the look suited her. She was beautiful already, but with flushed face and tinted cheeks, she as downright angelic. 

He shifted in his seat, attempting to hide the signs of his- _growing_ attraction to her, and gulped down the sparkling liquid in his hand. He noticed Nino watching him with narrowed eyes full of suspicion, and Alya with pure amusement. He was definitely in trouble.

* * *

"Well," Adrien said from where he sat beside Alya in the back of his car. "That went... well."

Alya snorted. "Yeah... not sure Nino was particularly fond of you blatantly crushing on Mari."

She grinned as Adrien scoffed, shifting uncomfortably in his seat as they rode toward Le Grand Paris. They had previously agreed that Alya would stay over at Adrien's suite at least once a week for appearances sake. 

She knew Adrien would insist she take his bed while he slept on the couch. She was inclined to accept, but she also felt bad for kicking him out of his own room. Besides, his bed was plenty large enough for two, and it wasn't as though she were worried about him trying anything. They'd just be having a sleepover, like old times.

"What the hell was going on with you Agreste? I've never seen you that ga-ga over a woman before. You looked like you'd been hit with Cupid's arrow."

"Definitely felt like it," he muttered, staring out the window. 

"Seriously?" she asked incredulously. "You falling that hard already? You just met her!"

Adrien groaned, banging his head against the glass with a thunk. "I know. I don't really understand it either."

He frowned for a moment before turning to her with a cautious expression. "Do you- do you believe in love at first sight?"

Alya's brows shot up. "That bad huh?"

He dropped his head back with a  sigh. "I don't know how else to describe it. It was innocent enough at first. She bumped into me, I caught her before she fell down and then- she looked up at me with those big blue eyes... I swear it was like the world stopped spinning for a moment."

"Melodramatic much?" she teased.

"Shut up," he said, nudging her his elbow, though he was smiling too. 

"Talk about bad timing though. On the bright side, I know for a fact she's into you. And in a few weeks, you'll be free to go after her."

"Yeah, sure. Assuming she's still interested by then. Not to mention, willing to date her friend's 'ex'."

Alya tilted her head back and forth a little, considering. "Fair point, I guess."

"Besides," Adrien smirked. "It's not like I was the only one crushing tonight. I saw the way you were looking at Nino. You like him."

"I- wha- what? Nino? No. Hell no." Alya waved him off, willing her cheeks not to color even as she felt them burning. 

Adrien's smirk grew as he watched her until she relented with a huff. "Ok, fine. He's... hot. But so were plenty other guys in that bar. And he's been nothing but a douche since I first met him, barely speaking to anyone but Mari, and always giving us dirty looks."

"Handsome is as handsome does," she shrugged while Adrien kept smirking.

She rolled her eyes as he started singing. "You think he's goooorgeous. You want to smooooch him, you to -"

Slapping a hand over his mouth, she couldn't help but smile as he grinned from behind her fingers. "God, I hate you."

His shoulders shook with mirth as the two of them continued giving each other hell until they finally passed out back in Adrien's room. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ha! Had to throw in the Lila cameo there. It was too good not to. I couldn’t stop myself lol


	5. It’s only right that you should play the way you feel it...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aye 🤦🏻♀️ So I realized after posting the last chapter that I had already used Lila as a character in this fic. Oops. My bad. I had originally named her Sara then changed it to Lila so I’ll pry just go back and change it later. 
> 
> This I think is sort of a boring chapter lol the other side of our “love square” does make an appearance but this is more about Adrien and Alya’s Relationship

Alya stood in front of the full length mirror in one of the Agreste's many guest rooms, fidgeting uncomfortably. The dark green, trumpet gown she wore was stunning but a smidge too tight, and the shaper they'd forced her into made it a little hard to breathe. She was afraid if she tried to bend or sit wrong, the whole thing was going to split open. 

Not to mention the designer stilettos they'd picked for her were about an inch taller than she was used to and held together but a few thin straps. She'd only had them on for about fifteen minutes but her feet were already starting to ache. And they expected her to dance in these?

She drew her gaze back up to her face, taking a moment to blink slowly, pinching her eyes closed, and opening them wide again.

Yep, that was her alright. 

She almost hadn't recognized herself when she first looked in the mirror after her hair and makeup were finished. Her face looked airbrushed and perfect, her hair slicked into a neat updo, not a single errant curl or hint of frizz. It felt like that moment in the movies after the girl gets a miraculous makeover. Those girls always smiled, staring at themselves in awe, like they couldn't believe they were actually that beautiful.

While she agreed that she looked beautiful, she also didn't look like herself. This was what they considered the 'better' version of herself, but she wasn't sure she liked it. The real Alya wore thick glasses, had poufy hair and a mole on her face, and felt most at home in a pair of well worn jeans and bright sneakers. 

This Alya looked like a damn Barbie, in head to toe designer fashion, flawless hair and makeup and nails that were neatly filed and polished. All that was missing was the strand of pearls, and she could be a vintage housewife.

_It's only for tonight,_ she told herself, taking a deep breath. _Tonight, and any other night, they need you to play Adrien's arm candy._

She shook off the unhelpful reminder. One thing at a time. That was the only way she'd survive this mess; by taking it one day at a time. At least she knew Adrien would be in her corner. He wouldn't let her stumble or make a fool of herself, and when it was all over, they could go back to his place, throw on sweats and binge on reality tv and junk food. 

He'd promised. 

It was the only way she'd agreed to be stuffed into this torture device of a dress.

She enjoyed fashion and pretty things as much as the next girl, but her own style was much more relaxed. Marinette would probably have a designer orgasm over the fabric alone. The thought made her smile. She wished she'd been able to invite her friend to the gala, she would've appreciated it much more than herself.

A soft knock sounded and she saw Adrien poke his head in the door through the mirror. His brows rose in shock before he schooled his features. Stepping through the door, he came to stand next to her, smiling at her reflection.

"You look nice."

She snorted. "Come on Agreste. I've known you too long, you can't lie to me."

The corner of his mouth quirked up. "Ok, fine. You look hideous. Happy?"

Turning, she slugged him in the arm, and he yelped. "Don't be mean."

"I kid, I kid!" he held his hands up, grinning. "You do look nice, honestly. Just..."

"I don't look like me," she finished for him.

He nodded. "Yeah. I'm sorry father's putting you through all of this, but I appreciate you going along with it anyways. I promise I'll find a way to make it up to you some day." His face was so sincere, she felt her anger dissipate.

This wasn't Adrien's fault, and she'd known what she was getting into when she agreed to go along with this ridiculous scheme. Despite his father, and sheltered upbringing, Adrien was sunshine incarnate. He was one of the sweetest, most generous guys she'd ever known and he didn't deserve to have his reputation torn apart because someone snapped a photo during a private moment. 

She'd do a lot of things to protect him, just like she knew he would do for her. Still, she couldn't help turning a teasing smirk on him. "Oh I know you will, chaton." She laughed when he wrinkled his nose at the nickname. 

"Seriously though, it's not like I'm not getting anything out of this either. I'll be able to make some great connections thanks to you. This could really help make my name. The Ladyblog has already has a huge surge in visitors since those photos came out."

"I know, it just seems... unbalanced. Nothing's really changing for me, but your whole life is being upended."

She shrugged. "It could be worse, I guess. And it's only for a few weeks. I'll be back to my old life before you know it."

Adrien smiled weakly. They both knew that no matter how long this went on, her life would never really be the same again. She was in the public eye now, and she'd always be remembered as Adrien's ex-girlfriend. 

His posture straightened, and he put on his model smile. "Anyways, I came up here to see if you were ready to go? The car should be here any moment."

She nodded. "Just let me grab my purse." She gathered up the little bejeweled clutch on the dresser, along with her phone, and took his offered arm. She was grateful for the support as she teetered down the hall, and descended the stairs. It would take a minute before she was entirely comfortable walking on her own.

The crunching of gravel announced the arrival of their ride, just as they entered the foyer. Nathalie and Gabriel were waiting at the bottom of the stairs, both distracted by their tablets. Gabriel looked up long enough to scan her head to toe, nodding approvingly, before returning to his work. "Enjoy your evening," he said simply before disappearing back into his study. 

Nathalie handed Adrien their tickets, scrolling through her tablet as he gave them a short briefing on what to expect. "Red carpet ends at 7, you should be arriving right in the middle of the crowd. Light hors d'oeuvres will be served during cocktail hour until 8, then there will be a small presentation about the museum's upcoming exhibits. Your father has already made a large donation, so you may expect some recognition. The dinner menu consists of soup, salad, a choice of chicken or fish, and dessert. After dinner, there should be a live band. You're expected to dance at least twice together, then your father would like you to engage a few of his business associates."

She paused to hand Adrien a short list of names, before continuing. Alya's head was spinning by the time she finished giving them a nearly minute by minute itinerary, ushering them out the door to the waiting limo below.

Adrien helped her into the back seat, sliding in beside her. The driver shut the door, and rounded to the front of the car and they were off. 

Alya puffed out a breath once they started moving. "I think I need a drink already."

Adrien chuckled. "I'll ask to have a bottle waiting in the car next time, but I'll get you something as soon as we get inside. Just got to get through the red carpet first."

Alya's eyes widened. It only just then sunk in that they would be walking the red carpet alongside famous singers, movie stars and models. The car suddenly felt very warm.

"Hey," Adrien said, taking her hand. "It's going to be fine. Just hold on to my arm and don't stop smiling. It'll be over before you know it. I swear."

She nodded, forcing herself to take slow breaths to calm her racing heart. It didn't last long however as they pulled into the line of waiting cars outside the museum, and she could hear the buzz of the crowd that had gathered to watch Paris' A-listers arrive. 

Adrien smiled and squeezed her hand reassuringly as the driver opened the door for them. The crowd roared when they spotted him as he stepped out of the car and straightened his suit before turning to help her out.

As soon as she was on the sidewalk, a small team swarmed her, helping smooth out her gown and ensuring the short train laid just right. Adrien tucked her arm into his, pulling her into his side. 

"Just relax, and smile, it'll be over soon," he whispered in her ear. 

She felt her lips quirk up as they stepped forward into the line of celebrities meandering down the red carpet towards the door. Almost immediately, she was blinded by flashing cameras but forced her eyes to stay open as she let Adrien lead her. She heard countless people shouting his name, but he mostly ignored them, keeping a steady pace down the walkway. 

Just when she thought she would  combust from all of the overstimulation, they were suddenly indoors and she had to blink several times before the spots started to clear from her vision. Adrien showed their tickets to a young woman holding a clipboard and wearing a headset. She blushed when he smiled at her and nodded for them to enter. 

"Welcome to the gala Mr Agreste. Enjoy your evening."

"Thank you, Katie."

"Katie?" Alya looked at him askance. He shrugged.

"She works a lot of the big events. Sweet girl."

Alya couldn't help but smile. She doubted many other people of his status would ever bother to learn the girl's name, let alone recognize her. They stepped into the lobby which had been decorated with flowers and banners and lit to provide optimum photos. A passing server stopped in front of them with a tray of champagne glasses and Adrien took two, handing one to her.

"As promised."

She accepted it gratefully, taking a long swallow. "Thanks."

"You did great out there. Hard part's over. Now, just try to enjoy yourself."

She nodded as he guided he further into the room, gazing around at all the well-dressed attendees. She spotted several people she recognized, from businessmen and politicians to actors and singers and even a few sports stars. Adrien nodded to a few people who'd acknowledged him, but so far, no one had tried to pull them into conversation. 

They made their way around the room, stopping now and then to observe one of the statues on display or to sample the foods being offered. She was on her second glass of champagne when a familiar voice called her name. 

Turning to look over her shoulder, her jaw dropped a little. "Marinette?" Beside her she felt Adrien stiffen before whipping his head around, his jaw dropping as well. 

Her petite friend was wearing an eye-catching red dress that fluttered around her legs as she walked, dragging a grumpy looking Nino behind her.

She and Adrien turned to face them as they approached. "I didn't know you were going to be here," she said, leaning in to kiss her cheeks. 

"Yeah, it was kind of last minute. Nino's boss gave him the tickets when he couldn't make it and he asked me to be his plus one so he wouldn't be alone." She giggled while Nino stood behind her, hands in his pockets as he glared at the two of them, as per usual.

"His boss?"

"Yeah, he's one of the lead assistants for Pierre von Terra."

"You work with Pierre?" Adrien asked, looking impressed. 

Nino grunted in response, while Marinette continued to gush. "Yeah! He started as a light tech a couple years ago, until Pierre saw his portfolio. He was so impressed, he promoted him and started mentoring him. Nino's gotten some really cool free lance assignments thanks to him."

"Wow," Adrien said, still looking genuinely impressed. "Pierre is a world class photographer. Some of his past assistants have gone on to have pretty amazing careers themselves. You must be really talented."

Nino's eyebrows twitched as though he were unsure if Adrien were being sincere. Something in his expression must have convinced him as he softened marginally. "Thanks. He's an amazing mentor. I've been really lucky to work with him."

Alya's brows creeped toward her hairline. That was more words than she'd heard from the man I the whole of their brief acquaintance.  

"Nino wants to get into film," Marinette continued to brag on her friend. "He's made a few short films already, one even won a local arts award!"

Alya could've sworn Nino blushed as his friend showered him with praise, a small smile playing on his lips, and it was the most adorable thing she'd ever seen. Handsome as he was when he was brooding, she had a feeling that when he finally smiled, it would knock her on her ass. 

She stood there, sipping her champagne as Adrien asked questions, slowly engaging Marinette's recalcitrant friend until they were having an actual conversation. All she could do was shake her head in awe at the change. Adrien really could charm the pants off anyone.

Before long, a light chiming sound could be heard above the crowd which seemed to signal everyone as they moved towards one of the exhibit halls where tables and a small stage were set up for dinner. 

* * *

As luck would have it, Nino and Marinette had been sat at their table along with a few other industry professionals. They listened to a short presentation on the museum's summer exhibit which would feature a unique collection of zodiac themed jewels from ancient china, before the curator thanked various guests for their generous donations, including Adrien's father.

During dinner, Alya was engaged in an animated discussion with a fashion critic about her blog while Adrien chatted with the fabric supplier seated next to him that happened to be on his fathers list. Marinette was seated across the round table from him, but he'd been aware of her every movement since they sat down. 

Her tinkling laugh drew his eye to her for about the thousandth time. He was momentarily mesmerized, as she tipped her head back, shoulders shaking delicately. The male model she'd been talking to, leaned in with a schmoozey smile, his eyes dipping down to her cleavage and Adrien scowled slightly. 

Marcel chuckled beside him. "She is an absolute angel, isn't she?"

Adrien turned back to his dinner companion, embarrassed to have been caught. 

"Don't worry, my boy," he assured him with a knowing smile. "I don't blame you. If I were 20 years younger, I'd be just as enthralled. Single or not."

Adrien chuckled nervously. "She's a friend of my girlfriend. A designer. She just accepted an apprenticeship with my father in fact."

"Is she now?" Marcel perked up. "Well, I suppose I'll have to try and introduce myself at some point tonight. If your father's taken on an apprentice she must be very talented indeed. Never hurts to get to know potential future clients," he winked.

Shortly after dessert was served, guests began migrating to the adjoining room which featured various romance paintings arranged along the walls, with the occasional greek statue dispersed across the large tiled floor. A band in the corner played a soft waltz and Adrien looked at Alya questioningly.

"Let's get this over with," she muttered, pulling him towards the dance floor.

He kept his laugh in check as he pulled her into position, falling easily into step with the dancers already on the floor. He hadn't been lying when he told his father she was a natural. Her posture was still a bit too stiff, and he could tell she struggled to let him lead, but her footwork was precise and on time.

As hoped, they were already gaining some attention, and he saw a few phones and cameras aimed their way. He smiled at Alya, hoping to look the doting lover as he shared a few humorous observations about other guests in an effort to draw a laugh out of her. It worked rather well and he was able to keep her on the floor for a second dance without much fuss.

When he could tell she was getting tired of being spun about, he deftly danced them to the edge of the dance floor, and slipped into the surrounding crowd. 

While dancing, he'd made note of where a few of the people his father wanted him to speak with were, and made his way to the nearest one. Snagging two more glasses from a passing server, he was able to smoothly insert himself into the conversation.

It was little surprise to him when Alya turned out to be a very charming wing woman. She smiled prettily and chatted easily with the guests and dates of Adrien's targets allowing Adrien to work. 

He wasn't technically supposed to talk business with any of them, as his father still didn't want him involved in the business beyond modeling, but since his father had seen fit to send him in his place, Adrien figured it was only fair. He hoped that, if given more opportunities like this one, he might show his father he was much more capable than he seemed to think. Perhaps, if Adrien managed to broker a good deal, or introduce a new client, his father might finally relent and allow him more responsibility.

Towards the end of the night, they ran into Marinette and Nino again as they were on their way out.

"Heading home so soon?" Alya asked with a pout.

"It's nearly midnight!" Marinette laughed. "We're both tired, and I have to get up early to help my parents with a big order tomorrow."

"Ah, well, it was a nice surprise to see you here tonight. I felt better having a familiar face to talk to." Alya leaned in to give her friend a kiss.

To his surprise, Nino extended his hand towards Adrien. "It was cool chatting with you man. I'm sure we'll see each other again soon." He nodded towards the girls with a smirk.

Adrien returned it as he shook his hand. "I'm sure we will. Have a good night."

"Later." Nino nodded to him, then Alya before placing a hand on Marinette's shoulders and gently leading her towards the door. 

She waved over her shoulder, grinning at them both. "See you later!"

He stood there watching her leave until she disappeared. Shaking away his dangerously romantic thoughts, he looked at Alya who wearing a look somewhere between dreamy and shocked. Snorting a laugh, he nudged her. Her attention snapped to him immediately, a slight blush staining her cheeks.

"I think we've done enough work tonight. What do you think?"

She nodded vigorously. "Netflix time?"

"Netflix time," he agreed. He wrapped an arm around her waist to keep her from sprinting to the exit. Nodding to a few more acquaintances, he avoided getting drawn into anymore conversation as they exited, sending a discrete text to the driver.

Alya shifted anxiously beside him as they waited in the lobby, shucking her shoes as soon as they got in the car. She slumped in her seat as they pulled away, groaning. "Ugh, I can't wait to get out of this dress. I'm surprised I could even eat with the way it was squeezing me."

He laughed, eager to ditch his own stiff clothes and uncomfortable shoes. "You did great tonight though. I should've started bringing you to these things years ago. It's much easier to talk business when their dates aren't constantly trying to interrupt with irrelevant comments and questions."

"So I'm supposed to keep the wives and girlfriends distracted while the boys talk shop?"

Adrien cringed at her sharp tone. He forgot sometimes that the Ladyblog's primary topic was feminist issues. If there was anything Alya loved, it was calling out a man for a sexist comment. Naturally she wouldn't appreciate the insinuation that she was being used simply as arm candy.

"That's not what I meant. You may have noticed, several of the people I spoke to tonight were in fact women. It's just that, the people they bring with them to events like this aren't usually part of the industry, and they feel left out of the conversation so they try to redirect it. Makes it hard to get much accomplished."

He mentally kicked himself as Alya continued to glare daggers at the side of his head. That hadn't sounded much better. 

"You know what I meant," he sighed, yanking on his tie to loosen it.

"Do I?" she asked, crossing her arms.

"Alya please, it's been a long night, for both of us. Can we not argue about this? You know I didn't mean any offense."

She sniffed and looked out the window. "You're lucky you're not _actually_ my boyfriend Agreste."

He restrained from rolling his eyes and looked out the other window. _Tell me about it._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As stated in the notes of my fic Just My Luck, I’m looking for potential beta readers for an independent novel I’m working on. It’s a completed but very rough first draft right now, I’m just hoping for some feedback as to where it might be expanded and improved.  
> If interested, hit me up on Tumblr : tiggertink08


	6. Running in the shadows... damn your love, damn your lies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter starts with Adrien’s perspective but is mostly Alya-centric as the next will probably be as well. Adrien will get his soon too though!

"Adrien! Over here!"

"Adrien! Look this way!"

"Adrien! Give us a kiss!"

"Adrien!"

"Adrien!"

The flashing bulbs were blinding as always as they climbed from the car. The clamor of voices screaming for his attention blurred together into a dull roar he was usually able to ignore; but that one request... that one stood out.

"Give us a kiss!"

The arm around Alya's waist tightened when he heard it, and he knew she'd heard it too by the way her spine seemed to turn to steel. _Dieu!_ They'd known this would happen eventually. The paparazzi and Adrien's fan would get bored with the polite and chaste shows of affection they'd displayed thus far. They'd demand more. His father had even warned them to be ready for it. To not deny them.

He wasn't ashamed to say they'd actually practiced. In private, of course.

Really, it wasn't much of a hardship. Alya was a beautiful woman, and a damn good kisser if he was being honest. However, they didn't change the fact that neither of them saw the other in such a way. That they both, in fact, preferred another. Another that belonged to a particular pair of friends they were both acquainted with.

Adrien and Alya turned to each other, smiles still plastered on their faces, and leaned in for a quick peck. Naturally, their audience was not satisfied. They demanded more. A 'real kiss'.

He released a subtle sigh through his nose, smile never slipping. He heard Alya mutter through her bared teeth, "let's just give them what they want so we can move on and get inside already."

Pulling her closer, he cupped the side of her face, careful not to muss her hair or carefully applied makeup and gave her a kiss worthy of the silver screen. Pulling a hairsbreadth away, he whispered against her mouth before straightening. "Hopefully that'll appease them for a while."

"Hmm."

With one last smile for the cameras, Adrien turned, and steered them the rest of the way down the short walkway and into the building. They both breathed a sigh of relief once they were inside, quickly greeting their host who happened to be in the entryway. 

It was the third event they'd attended that week, and though this one was far more casual, a party at the townhome of a popular director, the paparazzi had still been invited to photograph all of the famous guests as they arrived.

Slipping immediately into an empty side room, they both took a moment to compose themselves while Alya fixed her lipstick, before once again pasting on fake smiles to mingle with the party's attendants. 

"I hate your father," Alya said, swiping on another coat of gloss and smacking her lips together. "No offense."

Adrien snorted. "None taken. You've gotta admit, he does has good ideas sometimes though."

It was true that, as frustrating as the whole situation was, his father's plan was working. In a little under two weeks, Adrien's reputation had bounced back, and Alya's blog was getting record traffic. There were still a few lingering rumor's about him and Lila Rossi, her fans seemed unwilling to let go so easy, but for the most part, people seemed to be loving Adrien and Alya together. Or 'Adralya' as they'd been dubbed.

"Hmph. I suppose your right," she grudgingly agreed. "Still, you need to get the hell out of that mansion, permanently, as soon as possible. Otherwise, he's going to be dictating every minute of your existence for the rest of your life."

Adrien gave her a dry look. "Why do you think I spend so much time at the hotel? Because Chloe's company is so agreeable?"

The friend's shared a smirk. 

"Touché. But that's still not really a solution. You need a place of your own. A _life_ of your own _._ I mean, be honest, do you even actually _enjoy_ modeling anymore?"

Adrien gave a half shrug. "It's not so bad. But what else am I supposed to do? Unlike you, I wasn't _allowed_ to go to university, I have no degree. I'd like to get into business, but aside from working for my father's company, who would hire me without an education? And it's not like he'd ever allow me to do anything beyond the camera. Not while he can still exploit my face or my body for his campaigns."

"Bourgeois would hire you," Alya said with a teasing grin.

"Ha!" Adrien barked out a laugh. "Oh God. You're probably right, but you know he'd never allow anyone to outrank his 'darling Chloe' and I bet she'd just _love_ to have me at her beck and call. Can you imagine?"

Alya tossed her hair over her shoulder, holding up a limp hand, her voice taking on a high pitched, nasally quality. "Adrikins! Did you get my coffee? Triple shot, non-fat, no foam macchiato?" Adrien grinned until she leaned in, lashes lowered seductively and dragged a finger down his chest. "Adribear, I'm going to need you to stay late for a- _performance review_."

Adrien shuddered and fake gagged before the two dissolved into laughter. 

"You know, she is still pissed about our 'relationship'. She threatened to never speak to me again, yet she still shows up at my door nearly every morning demanding we break up."

Alya smirked. "Serves her right, the witch." Checking her appearance one last time, Alya tossed her compact into her clutch and snapped it shut. "Ready?"

"Yep," Adrien straightened and offered her his arm. "Sooner we get this over with, the sooner we can get back to our Netflix marathon and ice cream."

"I don't how you get away with eating so much sugar and still have your abs, it's unfair. But you definitely owe me some caramel fudge swirl after tonight."

"Deal."

The pair sauntered out of the room, slipping back into the party without anyone noticing their tardiness. 

Meanwhile, neither were aware of the presence of another young man in the room. When the door clicked closed behind them, he peeked around the large, wingback chair he'd been sitting in while on the phone, hidden unintentionally from view.

* * *

After grabbing drinks at the bar, Adrien and Alya began mingling with the other guests. It didn't take long before they came across another pair of familiar faces.

"Marinette?" Alya stared at her friend with a bewildered expression. "Girl, you're making a habit of showing up at these things without telling me."

"That'd be my fault," Nino interjected from beside her. He gave the pair a curious once over before explaining. "Pierre has a habit of RSVPing to several events on the same date. At the last minute, he'll pick the one he _actually_ wants to attend and send someone else to represent him at the others."

Adrien laughed at that. "Well, that's lucky for all of us I suppose. These things are far more tolerable with company that isn't entirely ingenuine."

Nino sized Adrien up with that same curious look. "Actually, he did have a reason for sending me to this particular event."

"Oh?"

"He's been wanting to do some fashion shoots with _Gabriel_ , but your father's been resistant. Everyone knows he never shows up to events himself, and once Pierre found out we were acquainted he seemed to decide I had a better chance of wooing _you_ than he did your father."

Once again, Alya was struck dumb when Nino grinned. He had an almost roguish charm about him when he wasn't being a broody asshole. It drew her to him even more. 

Adrien's answering grin had a roguish glint of it's own. "Well, technically speaking, I'm not the one who makes the deals for _Gabriel,_ but since both of our 'bosses' see fit to send us in their places, it only seems fair to make a bargain on their behalf."

Nino's grin grew. Seems he'd gotten over whatever stick he had up his ass previously as he turned and winked at Alya, sending her stomach into a freefall. "Mind if I steal your man away for a moment? Looks like we've got some negotiating to do."

"No at all." God, why did her voice sound so breathy? Her heart kicked up a notch when his eyes dragged down her frame before turning and walking away with Adrien in tow. For his part, her 'man' also gave their other companion a lingering glance as he was pulled away.

"You look great!" Marinette exclaimed as soon as the boys were out of earshot. "That suit is gorgeous!" She leaned closer, running her fingertips along the smooth fabric and studying the stitching along the collar.

"Thanks," Alya said, looking down at herself. 

Tonight, she'd been dressed in a dusky pink pant suit with dark gold embroidery along the lapels. The jacket had been left open, revealing a semi-sheer corset top underneath. It was a much more revealing outfit than she was normally comfortable with. 

After pairing it with nude pumps, natural makeup and simple, loose waves, however, she had to admit she felt down right sexy. The boost to her confidence made her feel more relaxed and poised than she usually did for these public outings.

"You look gorgeous as always, of course." She smiled at her friend, eyeing the soft, cream colored cocktail dress she wore. "Is that one of yours?"

Marinette shook her head. "I was working with Mr Agreste the other day when I mentioned that I'd been invited to attend a few of these events lately, but was running out of things to wear. He told me some people in the industry had heard he'd taken on an apprentice and would be watching me. Since I now technically represent the brand as well, he said I was welcome to borrow pieces from the samples room when needed."

Alya's brows shot up. "Wow. That's- generous of him." That didn't sound like the Gabriel Agreste she knew. "He must like you."

She knew the man had been more impressed with her friends work than he cared to let on, but it looked like the young woman's joy de vivre may have managed to capture the reclusive man as easily as it did everyone else. 

It was impossible not to like Marinette. She was such a bubbly ball of positive energy, she attracted people to her like a magnet. She was also sweet as sugar and generous to a fault. Alya had only known her a few months but even she knew the girl would do just about anything for anyone she met.

Marinette blushed. "I hope so. He certainly seems pleased enough with my work so far." She wrapped a hand around Alya's forearm, blue eyes wide. "I can't thank you enough for getting me this job. It's an incredible opportunity and could be sooo good for my career."

Alya placed a hand over hers, smiling. "I told you, I hardly did anything. You got this job because you _deserve_ it. But you're welcome nonetheless." 

Taking a sip of her watered down vodka, Alya glanced around, spotting the boys speaking animatedly near the edge of the room. "Your friend Nino seems to have cooled his attitude towards Adrien and I."

Marinette followed her line of sight, a curious frown creasing her brow. "Yeah... I mean he seemed to warm to Adrien at the gala, but he was still being a bit standoffish about you both. Didn't really want to be here tonight, but he didn't have much of a choice. He was still pretty grumpy when we got here, then he had to take a phone call from his boss. He came back right before we ran into you, and it was like he'd done a 180."

"I hope it wasn't just because Pierre wants a contract with _Gabriel._ He does seem to genuinely like Adrien right now though. Nino's not usually great at hiding his feelings."

Alya snorted into her glass. "You're telling me. The glares he's given me since we met were sharp enough to kill. But he winked at me just now. _Winked!_   At _me_."

Marinette grinned. "He wouldn't admit it out loud but I'm pretty sure he was disappointed when he found out you were dating Adrien. I'd been talking you up to him for a while and you looked hot as hell when you walked in the bakery that day. I really thought you two would be cute together, but I'm glad you're happy."

Alya's smile turned strained as she swallowed the rest of her glass and eyed the bar. "Yeah. Real happy."

 

 

A few hours later, Alya fell onto the couch in Adrien's suite with a sigh. She'd changed out of her party clothes, washed her face, and carefully pinned her hair for bed so she wouldn't ruin the blowout she's gotten that morning. "I like playing dress up as much as the next girl, but damn, sweats are comfy as _shit_."

Adrien handed her a pint of promised caramel fudge swirl, folding himself onto the couch next to her with his own pint of chocolate. She pulled a fluffy blanket across both of their laps as they cuddled up, using each other as a pillow. 

"I hear you on that. My favorite part of a shoot is putting my t-shirt and gym shorts back on."

He grabbed the remote and turned on the TV, pulling up Netflix.

"So, how'd your conversation with Nino go?" Alya asked, watching him from the corner of her eye. She tried to look casual as she popped the top on her ice cream and stuck her spoon in to test how frozen it was.

Adrien wasn't fooled. He side eyed her right back, smirking. "Good. Pierre wants to do something a little unconventional, well by my father's standards anyway. I liked the idea, so we worked out the details then he called Pierre and I called Nathalie and got it set up. Father wasn't particularly pleased I went around him, but since Nino was already talking to Pierre, he couldn't really back out."

"Oh yeah? That's great. Hopefully it'll be a big success and then your father will start letting you handle more deals."

"That's the goal." Adrien pulled up the sci-fi show they'd been binge-watching, and paused to take a bite of his ice cream. "We shoot next week."

"So soon?"

"The location he wants to use won't be available for months if we don't do it now. We already have several pieces ready that would be perfect for the setting; we have the availability and the models. It worked out perfectly actually."

"Huh. How about that? Good for you Agreste." She looked back at the screen, frozen on the episode list, wondering why he hadn't started it yet.

"There was a small catch though..." he said carefully, again watching her from the corner of his eye.

To his credit, he didn't flinch when she narrowed her eyes at him.

"Father wants you there."

"What?! Why on earth would I need to be at a photoshoot for a company I don't even work for? Those things can last all day! I do have my own work to do you know?"

"I know. I told him that. He wants to commission you for a piece, though."

"On _Gabriel?_ I'm not a fashion blogger, Adrien."

"Again, I know. But he insisted."

"Won't people think an article written by me about my 'boyfriend's' father's company a bit biased? Surely he's smarter than that. What is he thinking?"

Adrien shrugged helplessly. "Beats the hell out of me. It was the only way he would agree though. Please, Al." His lips pushed together in a pout and gave her his best kitten eyes.

Damn the kitten eyes. She never could say no to them. "Fine," she relented. "But I have my own counter offer."

Adrien raised a cautious eyebrow.

"I want my scheduled lightened this week. No 'Adralya' appearances until the weekend. I have a lot of writing to catch up on."

Adrien cringed at the couple nickname the internet had graced them with. "I'll see what I can do."

"Good, now, give me that remote. It's time for some futuristic, interspace, alien drama!"

* * *

Surprisingly enough, Gabriel had accepted Alya's terms and all but cleared her schedule for the week. She still had an etiquette lesson to attend, and a round of beauty maintenance appointments, but she was otherwise free to work on the pieces she was behind on, as well as to spend time with her family.

She'd been miraculously productive, and managed to submit all the articles she was late on, as well as a post for her own blog by Wednesday. She'd then had all of Thursday to herself. She hadn't seen much of her sister lately, despite living with her, and allowed Nora to drag her to the gym in the morning for a boxing lesson, before meeting Marinette for lunch and joining the rest of her family for dinner.

Her parents, and younger twin sisters, were all curious when she'd be brining Adrien by for a family dinner. She wasn't sure what to tell them, but since she knew Adrien liked her family, she felt comfortable promising them they'd be by 'soon'. 

She got to bed early that night with a slew of mixed feelings rolling around in her chest. She hated lying to her family, but it hopefully wouldn't be for much longer. She and Adrien would stage an amicable breakup and things would go back to normal, her family none the wiser.

She double checked her alarm, and that her laptop and note pad were packed and ready before climbing into bed. Early in the morning, she'd be catching the train to London. Apparently, Nathalie had used her witchy voodoo to block out the entire train for all the models and crew. Alya would be traveling in first class with Adrien and his father for the two and a half hour ride, while everyone else shared the rest of the train. She didn't expect it to be a particularly exciting ride.

She was still on the fence about the whole thing. On the one hand, she was excited to visit England. She'd done some traveling on the continent during university but had never managed to make it across the channel. Marinette would also be going, and she hoped they'd be able to do some exploring if they managed to finish early enough. Of course, since Pierre was the photographer, that meant Nino would be there too....

On the other hand, she still didn't understand why Gabriel was so insistent she attend, or why on earth he would want her to write a piece on _Gabriel._ There were hundreds of more qualified fashion writers, not to mention ones who weren't publicly linked to his son.

No use fretting over it now. She could worry about it in the morning.

 

 

The sun was barely up when Alya boarded the train, taking a seat across from Adrien. He watched her with an amused smile as she ordered her second coffee of the morning from the attendant and settled in. 

"Morning sunshine," he greeted her with an annoyingly chipper tone. She responded with a grumble and a glare.

Pretty boy may be used to early mornings after doing it nearly every morning since he was a child, but Alya's favorite thing about freelancing was that she could set her own hours. This little escapade was interfering with her sleep.

She snorted, smiling to herself. She sounded like Marinette. Her friend was just as dysfunctional in the mornings as she was. She wasn't sure how she managed with a boss as strict as Gabriel Agreste, who surely demanded crazy hours and punctuality. 

"I think this is gonna be fun," Adrien said. "You've never really been to a shoot before and it'll be more fun with a friend there. Plus, Nino sent me pics of the location, and it looks really cool."

Gabriel entered the cabin, followed closely by Nathalie and took the seat across the aisle from them. "Miss Cesaire."

"Mr Agreste. Ms Sancoeur." Alya nodded to them both, gratefully accepting the steaming cup handed to her by the attendant. She blew on it briefly before take a long sip, not bothering to add cream or sugar. She needed straight black to get her through this day. "I was wondering Mr Agreste, what exactly it is you're wanting me to write?"

"I don't."

"What?" both Alya and Adrien's heads snapped in his direction.

"I don't need you to write anything, Miss Cesaire. You're here for appearances. Miss Rossi is reportedly in London at the moment, and I didn't want her camp attempting to sell any ridiculous stories about Adrien being here to see her. That's what you're here for. To be seen together and keep those rumors locked up."

Adrien dropped his head back with an eyeroll while Alya gaped. "You're kidding? Why didn't you just say so?"

"I wanted to ensure your cooperation."

Her eyes narrowed behind her glasses. "You really thought I wouldn't come? I know what my part in this charade is. Even so, I wouldn't allow that snake to try and sink her teeth into Adrien again for the sake of her own miserable reputation. She can take her attention seeking elsewhere as far as I'm concerned."

Alya sat back in her chair, arms crossed, still glaring at Adrien's father. She was feeling much more awake now, agitation zipping through her veins, but she drank her coffee anyways. Gabriel returned her glare with a cold stare before turning away, dismissing her. Meanwhile, Adrien watched her with a proud, and grateful smile.

"Have I told you lately what an amazing friend you are Al?"

Her frown turned into a smirk. "Always bears repeating."

 

The remainder of the trip passed uneventfully, and at the station in London, the crew unloaded, boarding a bus that would convey them to the location they would be shooting outside the city. The location in question turned out to be a beautiful country estate full of antique tapestries and paintings and surrounded by well kept gardens and expansive grounds.

While the models were rushed into hair and makeup, and the crew began setting up, Alya took the opportunity to explore. The gardens were meticulously maintained, colorful blooms covering nearly every bush, with gravel walkways winding around neatly trimmed hedges and a few outdoor statues. There was even a small maze in the far corner. She made a note to check that out later. 

Strolling around to the far side of the ivy covered, brick mansion, she could see stables and a pen full of free running horses in the distance. 

"Horse breeding."

She startled at the deep, English accent, spinning around. An older gentleman with a bushy, gray mustache greeted her with a kind smile. He was dressed in dark slacks, covered by tall boots, a button down shirt under a dark brown blazer, and a wool cap covered his gray hair. It was late summer but the weather here was surprisingly cool. He looked like the stereotypical Englishman and she had to bite back a grin. 

"Sorry?"

"Horse breeding," the man repeated, gesturing towards the stables. "That's how they keep this place running. It's been in the family for generations but most of their coffers dried up years ago. They breed horses so they can keep the house in shape to rent out."

"Oh. Interesting. Who owns this place?"

"My daughter-in-law. She's the last in the Fennerton line, formerly Baron Demming. She couldn't inherit the title, but she did inherit everything else, poor thing." He frowned slightly, and Alya felt a little sad for the woman who apparently had no family left, but her husband.

"Charles Davies," the man said, holding out his hand. "My son Ethan is an attorney in the city; he and his wife live there. I prefer the country, so I run the stables for them, and manage the grounds."

"Alya Cesaire. Pleasure to meet you sir." 

She should probably return to the house with the crew, but the man was pleasant and she was curious to know more about the estate. She spent a few more minutes with him, asking questions. He gave her a bit of history on the estate and recommended a few rooms in the house to check out before waving goodbye and heading for the stables. Fascinated, she pulled out her phone and snapped a few pictures, deciding to write a post about the place; Haverly, he'd called it. 

By the time she made her way back inside, the crew was finished setting up and the models were dressed for the first round of pictures. They'd set up in the breakfast parlor, the beautiful gilded edge table covered in various scones and pastries, an antique tea set and large bouquet of peonies the center piece. 

Adrien and the other models were draped lazily over chairs in rumpled evening wear with perfectly ruffled hair. The scene looked like a group of young revelers winding down after a long night of partying. It was quite glamourous and honestly, brilliant. Very different from the neatly put together photographs _Gabriel_ typically used in their marketing. Who wouldn't want to look like the gorgeous, carefree people in the picture?

She watched for a while before getting bored and wandering to a different room. She made her way slowly through the house, admiring the furnishings and imagining the kind of luxurious lifestyles the houses former occupants must have lived. She got some great photos and the idea for her blog post slowly came together. She'd have to do some research when she got home of course, but it would make for an interesting historical piece she was sure.

As the crew moved to different rooms in the house, she would stop to watch for a moment before continuing her exploration. They kept the theme of 'lifestyles of the young and wealthy' going with each new setting and Alya couldn't wait to see the end result.

Marinette was busy running around, helping the models into each outfit and making last minute adjustments and repairs, so Alya wasn't able to speak with her. She and Adrien bantered between takes, flirting for anyone who cared to watch. His eyes kept straying to Marinette of course, watching as she moved around the rooms in a tizzy. This, of course, provided her something to tease him about. 

Adrien didn't miss a beat, teasing her right back about the way she watched Nino from the corner of her eye the entire time. Who could blame her though? The man was a snack. His long sleeve tee fit snuggly over his chest, and he'd rolled the sleeves up to his elbows, showing off toned forearms. His muscles were showcased each time he picked up and maneuvered a piece of heavy lighting equipment, and when he turned around... 

She heard Adrien snicker beside her and realized she'd been staring at Nino's ass, lip caught between her teeth. _Hussy._ Her eyes flicked up to Nino's face only to find him watching her over his shoulder. 

She snapped her head back towards Adrien, who ducked his head to hide his laugh. Her cheeks were flaming but she felt a twinge of satisfaction as he jumped and yelped when she pinched him sharply. 

"Ow," he whined, rubbing his side. "You're lucky I don't have to be topless today, that's gunna leave a mark."

"Oh, quit bitching. You barely had enough fat for me to pinch anyways."

"Exactly! You mostly got skin and those claws of yours are sharp."

She scoffed, and rolled her eyes. "Whatever. I'm going to get some air. It's getting hot in here with all these lights."

"Welcome to the model life, baby." Adrien leaned against the back of the settee behind him with a megawatt smile. "Go on, we'll be out there soon enough. The last round of pictures is supposed to be in the gardens."

She flicked a hand over her shoulder at him as she turned towards the door and headed outside. Finding a stone bench nestled between rose bushes, she sat down and enjoyed the cooler air and picturesque view. Tipping her head back, she closed her eyes and let her mind wander. 

Soon enough, her peaceful quiet was interrupted with the sounds of the crew moving outdoors. She watched as they set up an outdoor party scene. A few models lounged at the wrought iron table, sipping ice cold drinks, while others pretended to play lawn games, and a couple took an intimate stroll through the gardens.

Her gaze inevitably moved to Nino again, who stood behind Pierre, simply watching. As if sensing her, his head turned in her direction, brow quirked and a smirk playing across his lips. Caught, she stood abruptly, and made a bee line for the maze she'd seen earlier. Stepping through the entrance, the sounds from the set dimmed almost immediately behind the tall hedges. 

Glad for a place to hide, she took her time winding through the green corridors, taking turns at random. Coming to a dead end, she stared at the thicket of leaves, sighing. She turned on her heel to retrace her steps, only to find herself suddenly boxed in by a wall of muscle with intense amber eyes.

 


	7. Loving you isn’t the right thing to do...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised in the last chapter notes, this starts off all about Alya. Then Adrien gets his...

"Nino!" Alya cringed internally as her voice squeaked.

"Lost?" he asked with a smirk.

Damn that smirk. It was sexier than it had any right to be, and turned her brain to mush. That and his proximity. She'd never been this close to him before, standing nearly a foot apart. He was close enough she could the individual specks of gold in his eyes and smell his cologne. He smelled like cinnamon and ginger and man.

So much man...

This close, she could see the outline of his biceps and pecs through the cotton of his shirt. The fabric was loose around his stomach and she could only imagine what his abs looked like. Where they flat and smooth? Or covered in bumpy ridges?

Her eyes skimmed from the bit of dark hair peeking out of the V-neck, up his throat and across the sharp line of his jaw covered in stubble. What would that feel like rubbing her cheek? Her neck? Her thighs...

She blinked, forcibly snapping out of her lust-driven haze before she started drooling. Good lord, it had clearly been too long since she'd gotten laid.

"Nope, just... wandering."

"That so?" he asked. 

His gaze dragged over her, eyes glinting with appreciation just like they had that day in the bakery. She tried not to shiver under his scrutiny. 

"Find anything interesting?"

Her lips parted but the only sound that came out was a prolonged "uh."

The corner of his mouth tipped up further and he took a step closer. Reflexively, she took a step backwards, only to be met with a prickly hedge wall. His hands were in the pockets of his jeans, posture utterly relaxed as he stared her down. His head cocked to the side, like he was studying her. 

"What's the matter? Your boyfriend doesn't hold your interest enough to stick around and watch?"

"N-no." She cleared her throat, trying again, more firmly this time. "No, of course not. Adrien's _very_ \- interesting. But we've been at this for hours. Even I can't stare at him _that_ long."

"But you can stare at me?"

"Wh-what?!" she spluttered, trying not to blush, but to no avail. Even with her darker skin, she knew it was still obvious.

Nino's chuckle shakes his chest, the sound low, and condescending. "Cut the crap, Alya."

"Excuse you!" she fired back. How _dare_ he? "I don't know what the hell your problem is, but I am **so** over your attitude." 

Righteous indignation surged through her, erasing her earlier weakness. She shoved at his chest, fire in her eyes. He rocked back in surprise but recovered quickly, still looking at her in that same, mocking manner.

"From the moment I met you, you've been nothing but rude; glaring and sneering at Adrien and I. What's your damage anyway? You jealous?" She wanted to slap a hand over her mouth after that last accusation, but held her ground, refusing to show this asshole another ounce of weakness.

Nino's nostrils flared, but his voice was steady when he answered. "Of pretty boy? _Fuck_ no. I admit, I misjudged him, though."

That gave her pause, some of her ire fizzling out. She hadn't expected him to admit that.

"His father's a jackass, I wrongly assumed he'd be the same." He shrugged. "He proved me differently." 

Alya blinked, deflating even more. "Well, what about me then? Why do you seem to hate me so much?"

His eyes darkened and he stepped forward again, crowding her. "I don't hate you."

"Then-"

"I _want_ you."

Her jaw dropped. _What? Just- what?_  

His hands were still in his pockets and he was still standing a few inches from her. His eyes bored into hers and her heart was beating so loud she could barely think. _Jesus_. If he could throw her this off balance just by looking at her, what would happen if he touched her?

This man was dangerous. With a capital D. She needed to get away from him before she did something stupid. 

She moved to step around him when his hands shot out of his pockets, landing on either side of her head, caging her in. He leaned in until he was eyelevel, his breath fluttering over her cheeks.

"Be honest," he said quietly. "You're not really dating him."

She did her best not to react, though her breath caught in her throat. She must've flinched anyways.

His smirk was back. "That's what I thought." Amber eyes flicked down to her lips and back up. "I suspected from the beginning. The way you reacted when Mari mentioned you guys were a couple. You weren't just feeling guilty for not telling her. You felt guilty for lying, period."

"I don't know what you're talking about," she said automatically, but it was weak.

"You're both good actors, I'll give you that. You've got chemistry, though I'm sure that's just because you've been friends for so long. Almost convinced me that night in the club." His smirk melted away and something more sinister took it's place. "I didn't miss how he couldn't keep his eyes off Mari, though. Or how you seemed completely unbothered by it. Certainly didn't win him any points with me."

Alya swallowed, another protest on her lips, but she couldn't bring herself to tell another lie. Not right now. Instead, she listened with rapt attention as his eyes held her captive.

"I realized at the gala he wasn't the same as his father, but it wasn't until the party the other night that I put it all together." His head tilted sideways again, that same curious expression he wore the other night. "I overheard your conversation in the den. Not on purpose; I'd stepped in to take a call in private, was about to leave when you barged in."

She felt the color drain from her face, bringing back his smirk. 

"Most probably wouldn't have thought much about what you said, it was relatively innocuous banter. I was already suspicious though, so it filled in the gaps. Let me know if I'm wrong." His eyes glinted as he pushed off the wall and stepped back from her. Her mind screamed at her to bolt, but she couldn't have moved if she wanted to. She was rooted to the spot. 

He began ticking off points on his fingers. "The media misconstrued the pictures of you two outside of the hotel. They're good at that. All sorts of rumors and theories start circulating making pretty boy look bad. You too I'm sure. Daddy has a plan though. You pretend to be a couple. Adrien looks like a good guy, you get some notoriety; win-win. How am I doing so far?"

She had no response for that. He was dead on. All she could do was press her lips together, eyes closing as he continued. 

"You get sucked into the _Gabriel_ machine, and come out looking like a Stepford wife, perfect for pretty boy's image. You let him parade you around for a while, keep him looking good, until the hype dies down, then you 'split-up'. They'll try to play like your still friends so neither of you is the bad guy, but the fans will still put your head on a pike because that's how it always goes. The girl always takes the blame, especially when she's the 'Cinderella' in the story." She could almost _hear_ his lip curl as he said the name.

"Adrien walks away looking like a saint, and you go back to your anonymous life, but hopefully with a few new helpful connections. Am I right?"

Alya's chest seized, pressure building behind her eyes. She knew what she was getting into when she agreed to this. She'd already made the same conclusions he had, but hearing it laid out the way he'd just done... 

"Sounds to me like you got the raw end of the deal."

Her eyes fly open to find Nino directly in front of her again. His fingers curl under her chin, his thumb sweeping over her cheek, skimming the corner of her parted lips. That small touch is electric, making gasp, both of them leaning in unconsciously. 

"It's a shame we didn't meet before all this shit blew up," he whispers. His voice is low and gravely, pulling at something deep in her. Without meaning to, her eyes drop to his lips, leaning in closer.

"You don't want him, do you?" His breath whispers over her lips and her eyes flutter closed as their heads dip closer together. 

"No."

"Do you want me?"

One heartbeat. Two heartbeats. 

"Yes."

Goosebumps break out across her body as his lips brush hers. Her hands come up to grip his shirt and-

"Alya?"

At the sound of Adrien's voice they leap apart, panting and looking anywhere but at each other. A second later Adrien rounded the corner, freezing when he saw them. A crease appeared between his brows as his eyes flicked between their guilty faces, but disappeared in a split second. 

"There you are. I was wondering where you disappeared to. We just wrapped up the shoot. Some of the other model's wanted to see about maybe taking a ride around the grounds before the sun sets an we gotta head back. You wanna come?"

Alya jumped on the excuse to get away from this far too tempting man beside her. "Yeah! Sounds great! Love to!"

She saw Adrien's lips twitch at her overenthusiasm, but ignored the teasing sparkle in his eye as she stepped around him, putting more distance between herself and Nino.

"Hey man. Uh, Pierre's looking for you."

"Right. Thanks."

Nino brushed past her on his way out of the maze. Both of them flinched as their shoulders touched but he didn't spare her a glance. Just like that, she was alone with Adrien.

"Should I ask?" he said after a beat.

Her breath puffed out of her sharply as she collapsed against the maze wall, clutching her head. 

"That bad, huh? You alright? Did he say something to you? I thought he was coming around, but if he was rude to you-"

She shook her head, unable to help a smile at his protectiveness. "No. Nothing like that."

Warm hands land on her back, gently rubbing her shoulders. "Wanna talk about it?"

She looked up into Adrien's bright green eyes with a strained smile. "Not right now. Not here. We do need to talk though."

He frowned, looking apprehensive. "Alright. We'll be back home soon enough. I'm guessing you don't wanna talk with my father around? So, the train's out. Why don't you come back to my place? I've got wine."

He gave her a cheesy grin and she giggled. "Sounds like a plan."

* * *

As it turned out, since most of the horses were for sale, or being stabled for other owners, they weren't allowed to ride, but the caretaker did let them brush and feed them. Nathalie ushered everyone back onto the bus just before sundown and they were back in Paris around 11. 

Alya had accepted a ride back to Adrien's suite at the hotel, but sat silently next to him the whole way, worrying her lip. He knew something had happened with her and Nino when he came upon them in the maze. He wasn't sure how they ended up there together, and she had assured him nothing bad had happened, so he would withhold judgment until he heard the whole story.

The day had been a special kind of torture with Marinette on set. Despite his previous expectations, he hadn't seen her around when he was working since she'd started apprenticing with his father. He usually kept her sequestered with him on the design floor.

She was mainly there to assist the female models and had never come very close to him the entire time, but he was always hyperaware of where she was at any given moment. Little wisps of hair kept escaping her bun as she ran around and she looked cute as hell in a button down blouse, miniskirt and thigh high socks. He got tantalizing glimpses of her thighs every time she bent down to pin or adjust something, and her outfit did absolutely nothing to hide her curves.

It was difficult to keep his focus on the camera, but his dirty thoughts provided him the perfect look of barely reigned lust most of the shots called for. None of the poses or outfits had been particularly racy, but the overall vibe was meant to ooze a certain blend of glamour and sexuality, and he was pretty certain he'd nailed it. Pierre was beyond excited, and even his father seemed pleased for once; he was anxious to see the proofs.

Back at the hotel, he and Alya curled up on the couch with their favorite blanket, passing a bottle of red back and forth between them. He forced his thoughts away from their pretty friend, and focused on the one in front of him. 

"Ok, enough stalling. Spill."

She blew out a breath, her lips vibrating together to make a "pffft" sound. And then she started talking, apparently not sparing any details. He could've done without the colorful commentary on Nino's body or his eyes, or lips, but...

"Damn."

"Yeah," she said miserably, taking another swig.

He pulled the bottle from her grasp and took a sip himself. "So, he knows?"

"Apparently."

"Think he'll say anything?"

Her face scrunched up in thought before slowly shaking her head. "No... He didn't sound like he particularly approved, but I think he understood the need."

"Should I talk to him?"

Her eyes widened comically, and he laughed. "Not about the kiss. Don't worry, I won't tell him you told me that... or any of the other things you said about him." 

He waggled his eyebrows and laughed when she slugged him square in the chest. "Aye! Mercy!" he cried, rubbing his breast bone. "I'm kidding. I just meant, should I talk to him about the fact that he knows we're faking, or do you think that would just complicate things?"

Alya smashed her face into the cushions, a muffled "Fuuuuuck", coming out. "I have no idea," she said, sitting up again. "Maybe we should just play it by ear? Like don't pretend like we don't know he knows, but don't acknowledge it unless he brings it up? Hopefully not in front of anyone."

"Hmm." A thought smacked Adrien in the chest, causing him to panic a little. "Do you think he'll tell Marinette?"

"Mmm, I don't think so. He's apparently known since the party last weekend, and had been suspicious from the beginning, but she's never said a word to me. I think he's really protective of her. You might wanna cool it with the constant staring when he's around. Or just in general really."

He winced, acknowledging the truth of it. He hadn't tried very hard to mask his attraction to her, and he wasn't exactly subtle about it when he watched her either. Alya's interest in Nino, while obvious to him, had been much more covert.

"Heard."

A long silence stretched between them as they continued passing the bottle between them, lost in their own thoughts. 

"Netflix?" he finally asked.

Alya gave him a look. "I was awake before the sun today. How about bed?"

"Great idea."

* * *

Sunday morning, Adrien woke naturally before his alarm could jar him out of sleep for once. Rolling over, he stared at the ceiling, mentally replaying the previous night.

 

Rather than a formal event, he and Alya had been invited to dinner with Pierre to celebrate a successful shoot the previous day, as well as a new partnership. Apparently, his father had reviewed the day's proofs on the way home and had tentatively agreed to allow Pierre to handle another shoot in the future. Nothing concrete, but coming from Gabriel Agreste, that was nearly as good as contract.

Pierre had apparently also taken it upon himself to invite Nino, who of course brought Marinette. This was becoming something of a habit now and he wondered if the four of them would ever end up hanging out again outside of these kinds of scheduled outings. His father had, unsurprisingly, opted not to attend.

The evening had been fun and relaxing. Pierre was an excellent story teller, and dinner companion. It was the most fun Adrien had had on a night out in a long time, and he felt more confident that a future partnership with Pierre would help push _Gabriel_ towards some much needed progress.

Throughout the evening, he'd made a concerted effort to focus less on Marinette, keeping Alya's comments from the night before in mind. He couldn't help watching her from time to time however. Her laugh, smile, and overall essence were far too inviting not to.

He had also paid attention to the tension between Alya and Nino. For her part, Alya had made a valiant effort to keep her attention away from the man, while Nino seemed to have no such qualms. 

Earlier in the evening, Nino had caught his eye and the two had shared a silent acknowledgment. It may be reading a lot into a single look, but Adrien had to agree with Alya's assessment that, while Nino didn't necessarily agree with what they were trying to do, he seemed to know enough about the fickleness of public opinion to understand why it was a necessary arrangement, and he would respect it.

He also had the impression that Nino wasn't about to give up on Alya either, even if he couldn't pursue her openly. He had a feeling she now fell under the same protective instinct that Marinette did. Adrien was sure that if he allowed anything to harm Alya, Nino would have his head, no matter what kind of friendship they may have recently begun. That, he could certainly respect. 

He also couldn't help but feel guilty that he was holding his friend back from a potentially fulfilling relationship.

 

Adrien scrubbed a hand over his face and sighed heavily. This was all becoming much more complicated than it had begun. It should've been a simple enough arrangement. On paper at least.

The public had taken a much stronger liking to the 'Adralya' story than anticipated, however. It seemed people craved a good friends-to-lovers romance. Adrien was beginning to worry that his father would continue to use the two of them to milk as much positive press as he could, regardless of how it affected either of them. 

Both parties had both since developed feelings that could lead to the kind of attachments that would send their carefully crafted cover up in flames.

His father had never been much interested in Adrien's wants and desires, however; let alone the state of his heart. A bit ironic for a man who apparently had loved his late wife so much, he'd refused to entertain any kind of female companionship since. 

One would think he would be more of a romantic after knowing such love, but with how cold and withdrawn he had become, perhaps he was more likely to discourage such strong attachments to prevent the same kind of heartbreak. Bachelorhood or a safe, sensible partner was preferable.

With a groan, Adrien forced himself out of bed, and towards the bathroom. A shower didn't help clear his mind however, and he decided he needed some fresh air and alone time to process his thoughts and emotions. He was grateful that he'd been spending more time at the hotel than at home lately, as it made it easier for him to leave unnoticed. Particularly with the ballcap, sunglasses and plain clothes he wore. He'd narrowly avoided Chloe in the lobby however, and decided that Alya had been right about him needing his own place. He would look into it as soon as he returned.

With no particular destination in mind, Adrien simply let his feet guide him through the city of their own accord. He strolled at a leisurely pace, enjoying the pleasant weather while he allowing his mind to wander. There had to be a solution to their problem that would please everyone, without forcing either him or worse, Alya, to face any backlash.

Honestly though, was a bit of backlash so bad? He'd been in the spotlight his entire life. He'd never given the media any real reason to criticize him before, and their particular 'scandal' wasn't really all the scandalous. Many celebrities had done far worse and survived.

He could handle some bad press, he was fairly confident it wouldn't hurt his reputation too much in the long run. Not for this. Alya though... she didn't deserve the hateful words that would undoubtedly be thrown at her. She hadn't done anything but thank her friend for agreeing to a favor. They were French for goodness sake, displays of affection between friends were commonplace.

The photos had been taken without her consent, and purposely misrepresented, because the public loved salacious gossip as much as they did a happy ending. And because they were equally hypocritical in hurling slanderous insults at an innocent woman while simultaneously demanding women be treated with more respect, she'd been dragged into a world she'd never signed on for, just so he could try to shield her from it all.

He smiled to himself knowing the feminist in Alya had to be more than a little irked by the irony of it all.

An array of pleasing aromas reached him, pulling him from his thoughts, and he tuned back in to the world around him. It seemed his feet had lead him to a quaint little pedestrian street lined with outdoor displays featuring everything from freshly baked breads, to leatherworks, to locally grown produce and flowers. All around people milled about, browsing the different shops and enjoying the sunny day. 

No one paid him any mind, and he enjoyed the anonymity as he meandered through the crowd, occasionally peeking into shop windows. He stopped at a delicious smelling bakery and picked up a chocolate croissant. His favorite. 

In the middle of the cobblestone path, sat a small bench, partially shaded by a short, flowering tree, and he stopped to sit. He people watched while he enjoyed his pastry, idly making up little stories about the people he saw. Something made him turn his head, and he caught sight of familiar raven locks hanging under a large sunhat, contrasted against a white sundress. Before he could think better of it, his feet were moving.

"Enjoying the weather?"

Marinette started, tripping over her feet as she spun around. He easily caught her, his hands lingering on her arms after he'd help her catch her balance. A delicate blush spread over her freckled cheeks, and her large sunglasses weren't quite dark enough to hide her wide, blue eyes. 

"Adrien!" she squeaked a tad too loudly.

"Marinette," he replied, reluctantly letting her go. "What brings you here?"

She fidgeted, her eyes darting to the side and back. "Um, I was looking for some new flowers to try." She gestured to the tiered stand besides her, covered in little bunches of potted flowers in varying colors. 

"Do you garden?"

She laughed lightly, waving a hand. "Not really, but I like having flowers on my balcony. I was hoping to find something a little more resilient. I'm not very good at growing things."

_I can think of one thing you're good at growing._ He thought as his eyes skimmed along the sweetheart neckline of her dress, following the tapered line of her waist to where the skirt flared around her hips. He licked his lips. 

"Well, perhaps I can help-" he stopped short, finally noticing the whispers that had grown louder since he'd startled her and she cried out his name. 

He froze, his eyes flicking around him beneath his sunglasses. He saw several phones out, pointed in their direction, and a few excited young girls moving towards them. " _Shit_ ," he swore under his breath.

Marinette, turned her head, to see what had caught his attention and that seemed to break the spell. Suddenly his name was being shouted, gaining even more attention, and the group of young fans rushed forward. Without thought, he grabbed Marinette's hand and bolted, pulling her along with him. 

The more enthusiastic fans followed, but thankfully most stayed behind with disappointed moans. He glanced back to see Marinette clutching her hat to her head as she followed behind him, somehow keeping up even in flip flops. There was a fair distance between them and his pursuers and he knew he could easily lose them if he timed it right.

He faced forward again, getting his bearings and grinned when he recognized where they were. By coincidence, he'd found himself looking for a place to hide in this particular area before and knew exactly where to go. 

Making a sharp right, he pulled Marinette down a narrow alley. After a quick sprint, they ducked behind the back of a building and into a recessed doorway that would hide them from view. Yanking Marinette in front of him, he shielding her against the metal door with his body to make sure they were out of sight. 

Their panting breaths filled the air between them as they waited, and a moment later, they heard the pattering footsteps and confused cries of the fans who had followed him.

"Aw! Where'd he go?!"

"I thought he turned right here!"

"I saw it too!"

"Who was that girl he was with? Did you get a picture?"

"Yeah, but it's blurry. That definitely wasn't Alya, though."

Adrien held his breath, holding perfectly still until he heard them retreat and knew they'd given up. He blew out a breath, sagging with relief. _Close._ He hadn't missed their comments about who he was with, however. He hoped no one had gotten a picture good enough to identify either of them.

The scent of vanilla wafted up to his nose and he suddenly became aware of his position. Looking down, he found Marinette with her head tilted back, looking back at him. This close, he could see her eyes clearly through the light brown tint of her glasses; her wide, innocent gaze mesmerizing. Her lips were parted, blowing little puffs of air into his neck, her breasts brushing his chest with every breath. 

His heart leapt into a galloping beat as he looked back at her. That sweet, vanilla scent seemed to wrap around him and his thoughts became hazy.

He barely knew this woman. They hadn't spent any time together outside of their friends, and he hadn't had an actual conversation with her before, but every time she was near, he seemed to gravitate towards her unconsciously. Her very presence demanding his attention. 

The comments he'd just overheard pricked the back of his mind, trying to tell him something, but he could barely hear them. He was fully consumed with the woman before him. 

For the third time in the last few minutes, his body acted before his mind could catch up. His hand captured the back of her neck, pulling her to him as he leaned down and slammed his mouth into hers.

Her reaction was swift, and a second later he was stumbling backwards, nearly falling on his ass as she shoved him roughly away. For such a small woman, she was surprisingly strong. He watched the back of her hand swipe over her mouth, pressing herself back into the door to put more distance between them. 

His brain finally caught up with him. "Oh, God! I'm sorry. I didn't- I don't know what came over me." He held out his hands, taking a step closer, but froze when she tried to retreat further. 

_Damn it!_ What the hell had he been thinking? The last thing he wanted was for her to be scared of him. Alya was going to kill him! Hell, forget Alya, Nino would probably get to him first. _Fuck!_

"I'm so sorry-"

"What the hell is wrong with you?" she spat with more vehemence than he'd ever heard in her voice. "Alya is my _friend._ Your _girlfriend_."

"I know," Adrien said, knocking his hat off as he shoved his hands into his hair. 

"Do you make a habit of kissing random women without warning?" Even with the sunglasses and her hat flopping half in front of her eyes, he could clearly see the disgust on her face. "I don't even _know_ you. We've met all of, what, 4 times? 5? We've barely spoken a word to each other. It was forward enough of you to invade my space after dragging me along while you ran and hid from your fans."

She was in a tither, gesturing wildly with her hands while she raged at him. All he could do was stand there and take it, a growing sense of dread curling his stomach. He fucked up. He'd fucked up so bad.

"Does Alya know what kind man you are?" she sneered.

"It's complicated," he said weakly, squeezing his eyes shut.

"Complicated? You're in a relationship with one woman, and kissing her friend. That's not complicated. Did you think that because you've been friends so long, she'd- what, forgive you? That she wouldn't care? Well, guess what?! I care!"

He could feel her sizing him up, finding him wanting. "God, Nino was right about you. I bet you think you can just flash those green eyes and that pretty smile and charm your way out of anything."

He knew he deserved her anger, but that accusation was like a punch to the gut. People had assumed that about him his whole life, and he hated it. He curled in on himself reflexively, turning away from her burning ire. 

She paused in her rant, watching his reaction. Bending to pick up his hat, he peeked at her, keeping his head down, and quickly looked away. Pulling the cap back on to cover his hair, he spoke quietly, but sincerely. 

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that. I don't have any excuse." _None that you'll understand anyway._ "But you're wrong. I don't think I can 'charm my way' out of anything. I would never try to. And I would _never_ hurt Alya, not intentionally. She's one of the few friends I've ever had. I'd do almost anything for her and I know she would do the same. Hell, she already has." he muttered. _I don't deserve her._

"Still, I shouldn't have kissed you. For that I'm sorry. I hope you can forgive me."

Marinette was quiet and he chanced another peek at her. Most of the venom had left her expression but her posture was still stiff as she watched him.

"I just ask one thing." 

"What?" she said cautiously.

"Don't tell Alya." He heard her scoff and hurried to continue. "I'll tell her myself. I swear. Just, please, _let_ me."

He saw her lips purse, and her arms cross. He could feel her sizing him up again; he must've succeeded in looking sincere for she finally said "fine."

"Thank you." He tipped his head gratefully. "I'll leave you be. Are you alright on your own here? Do you know where you are?"

"Yes," she nodded. "I walked here from my parents' house, it isn't far."

"Ok. I'll -uh, see you around." Adrien ducked his head and hurried away before she could respond.

The further away he got, the heavier he felt. He wasn't surprised to find himself in front of Alya's apartment door a few minutes later. Removing his hat and glasses, he dragged a hand through his hair before knocking.

He hadn't checked to see if she was even home, but was relieved when the door opened. He knew he must've looked guilty as hell when she took one look at him, sighed, and opened the door wider. "Come on in."

 

 

 

 

 


	8. When the rain washes you clean, you’ll know..

For a long moment after Adrien finished speaking, Alya simply stared at him with a blank expression. He worried his hat between his hands, his palms bending the bill into a cylindrical shape. It was going to be a bitch to flatten it back out again, and even then, he knew it would be ruined with permanent wrinkles. 

When he couldn't take it anymore, he said, "Well? Say somethi-"

His words were cut off when her hand suddenly connected sharply with the back of his head. For a second, he merely gaped at her, before lifting his hand to the spot as the sting registered.

" _Owww._ Jesus, Al! Was that really-"

"Are you insane? Seriously, what is wrong with you?"

Adrien winced, rubbing the back of his head as he stalled, unsure how to respond. 

She opened her mouth to continue, but was interrupted by a sharp chime from her phone. She glanced at the device warily before snatching it up and swiping across the screen to unlock it. She scanned briefly, squeezing her eyes shut and pinching the bridge of her nose.

"What?"

In answer, she turned the screen to him. "I had both of our names on twitter alert so I'd have some kind of warning whenever a new story was posted."

Staring back at him was a photo from the market, likely taken just after he'd caught Marinette when she stumbled. His hands held both of her arms, her body leaning close to him as she caught her balance. Her face was obscured by her sun hat, but even with the hat and glasses Adrien wore, it was obviously him. The title read: _**Another mystery girl for Agreste Jr? Is this the end of Adralya?**_

Adrien hung his head, sighing heavily. His father was going to kill him.

Alya turned the screen back to herself and began skimming the article. Every now and then she would scoff, roll her eyes or shake her head. Or all three. "Awesome," she muttered.

"How b- ?" he couldn't get the words out, but she understood, wordlessly handing the phone over to him. Scrolling back up to the top, he began reading, his stomach sinking with each word. 

"Well," he said when he'd finished and handed the phone back to her. "On the bright side, they seem to be much bigger fans of you now." He grimaced, when she glared at him.

It was true, though. While they had, at first, skewered Alya in the press, they were now much more complimentary, sympathizing with her while painting him as the philandering asshole. He also hadn't missed the mentions of Lila Rossi. Even almost a month later, they still weren't letting that angle go.

As he sat there, processing, he felt his own phone vibrate in his pocket and knew it was his father calling. Or rather, Nathalie calling on his behalf. Pulling the phone from his pocket, he silenced it, tossing it on the coffee table and burying his head in his hands. 

He would deal with them later, hopefully after he and Alya had come up with a plan of their own. He could only imagine his father would want to double down on their efforts to sell this little charade, but that was what had started all of this mess to begin with. If he and Alya hadn't been forced together like this, then things would probably have gone very differently when he'd met Marinette for the first time.

He was tired of his father constantly getting in his way and imposing his own will. Alya was right; _so_ right. He needed to take control over his own life. He was nearly 24 for crying out loud. It was time to grow up, and grow a pair.

"What were you thinking?" Alya asked.

He glanced up at her. "It was no more than you an Nino did? How is this any different?"

Alya had a look about her like she was praying for patience. "For many reasons," she said, slowly. "For starters, Nino knows this isn't real. Marinette doesn't." She started ticking off reasons on her fingers. "She's a pretty trusting person, unlike her friend. She had no reason to doubt our story." 

"Second, she'd been talking me and Nino up to each other for weeks before we met, trying to hook us up. The basis for attraction was already there. As far as Mari was concerned, you were just a celebrity she had a bit of a crush on, who happened to be dating her friend. She's far too loyal to ever think any more of you than that; and, in her eyes, you were already out of her reach anyway."

"Thirdly, you don't even know each other. You've only been around each other a handful of times and, as far as I know, have never had an actual conversation with each other. You're essentially a stranger to her. Her friends' boyfriend. You basically assaulted her."

"Also," she gave him a pointed look. "Nino didn't just smash his face into mine. It was slow, and gradual, and _reciprocated_."

Adrien dropped his gaze from hers as guilt washed over him anew. He was _such_ an idiot. Much as he hated to admit it, she was absolutely right, on every point. All this time he'd been equating his situation with Marinette to Alya's with Nino, but they weren't the same.

He scrubbed a hand over his face, feeling suddenly exhausted. "What do we do, Al? How do I fix this? Our picture is all over the internet. Even if they haven't identified her yet, they will eventually. And once they figure out she's not only your friend, but my father's apprentice... God, this is so bad."

Alya sighed, her features softening. Reaching out, she laid a hand on his shoulder, giving it a light squeeze. "It's alright, sunshine. We'll figure it out, one problem at a time."

His phone buzzed across the coffee table, and they both watched it as Nathalie's name lit the screen. Adrien cringed. "You know he's going to have us give some BS statements and likely ramp up our appearances together. Push the hard sell. I don't think I can do it anymore, though. Neither of us was really 100% on board to begin with, and I honestly can't stand the lying anymore."

"Me either," Alya agreed. "Let's let him stew for now. As far as I'm concerned, he's the one who dragged us into this mess to begin with, he can figure out how to get us out of it."

While the initial idea had been good in theory, in reality, it was beginning to interfere with their personal lives far more than expected. This had become much bigger than originally intended, and neither was happy about it.

"Ok, so if we're ignoring that problem for right now, what do you suggest we tackle first?"

Alya chewed her lip for a moment before picking up her phone and dialing a number.

* * *

Alya left Adrien pacing in her living room to answer the door. On the other side, her friend stood with a smile, until her eyes fell on Adrien behind her, and the smile dropped.

"So, he did tell you?" Marinette, said sounding somewhat surprised. 

Alya nodded, opening the door wider. Marinette hesitated before entering.

"Adrien is nothing if not a man of his word." Alya smiled as Adrien awkwardly waved hello. 

Marinette frowned at him and then turned to Alya with a wary look. "And you're... not- mad?"

Alya and Adrien shared a wince. "Why don't you sit down?" she offered. "There's something we should probably explain." Luckily, Alya's sister Nora was out of town for the weekend, so they would be uninterrupted for the most part. 

Scanning her friend up and down, she noticed she was wearing a different outfit than the sundress she'd been photographed in earlier that morning. "I'm guessing you've seen the article?" she asked, waving at her clothes and the sunglasses in her hand. 

"Oh. Uh, yeah. I'm really sorry-"

Alya held up a hand to halt her apology. "No need to be sorry, girl. Adrien and I both know how easy it is to misconstrue the context of a photo. For instance, the one that started this whole thing."

Marinette frowned in confusion, looking between the pair on the couch opposite her. 

"The thing is," Alya explained, choosing her words carefully. "The only reason Adrien and I are 'together' is because of that photo outside the hotel."

"Why do you say 'together' like that? With the air quotes?"

"Because it isn't really true? Technically speaking."

"...what?"

Alya sighed, deciding to just start from the beginning. "That picture was taken just after Adrien had promised to do me a favor. I was thanking him in my own overly affectionate way. But that's all it was. The timing of the paparazzi was just really bad, and they took their own liberties with the story."

"But... you were wearing his clothes?" Marinette's frown deepened, almost looking like a pout. Beside her, she could sense Adrien getting a bit doe-eyed at how adorable she looked. 

"Yeah. You remember how the dress I borrowed was returned by the Agreste secretary the next day? That's because Adrien had it cleaned for me after one of Chloe Bourgeois' minions spilled red wine all over it. He let me borrow some clean clothes while he tried to get the stain out."

Marinette's frown turned to a scowl. " _Chloe Bourgeois_. I've never liked that girl."

"You know Chloe?" They both asked, surprised. 

Alya was a bit shocked at Marinette's words. She'd never heard her friend say a bad word about anyone before. But after the way Adrien had described her blowing up at him earlier, she knew she wasn't always so bubbly and nice.

"Unfortunately," Marinette grimaced. "We went to the same school and were in the same class for years. She was a total bully. If it weren't for Nino, I don't know how I would've gotten through."

Alya flinched at Nino's name and quickly got the conversation back on track. "Right, well, like I said, the photos were taken completely out of context. It didn't take long for people to figure out who I was, and with the rumors about Adrien and Lila, which are utterly and completely false by the way, it wasn't looking so good for either of us."

"Right..." Marinette was back to frowning, her gaze moving between the two on the couch again.

"So, Adrien's father, you might have noticed, can be a bit-"

"Strict?" Adrien supplied.

"I was gonna say anal," Alya countered, making him snort, and Marinette raise a brow.

"Anyways, he's likes to be in control. Adrien's always had a squeaky clean image; mostly because sunshine here never actually does anything newsworthy. So, you can imagine daddy wasn't happy that his star model was being touted as a playboy in the press."

"Of course," Marinette agreed, looking slightly less confused. She was a smart girl, Alya knew. She was sure she was probably starting to get where this story was going.

"So, Gabriel's genius idea, was to have us pretend to be a couple until the hype died down, then we'd quietly 'break-up' and everything would go back to normal."

"It was only supposed to last a few weeks," Adrien explained. "But we didn't really anticipate how popular 'Adralya' would become, and now it's sort of snowballing, and we're stuck. My father isn't one to pass up good publicity, so he'll make us ride this as long as he can. Which is unfortunate, because we both would rather.... pursue other courses." He gave Marinette a significant look that made her blush and look away. 

Alya gave him a nudge and an encouraging nod.

"I want to apologize again for this morning. I'll be honest, I've been attracted to you since you spilled your martini all over my shirt," he grinned that dazzling smile of his and her friend blushed harder. "But, you were right, we don't actually know each other. And, as far as you, and everyone else, is concerned, I wasn't actually free to give such... _affections_ away."

"I would like to get to know you better, though. If you'll allow me that is? I promise I'll keep my hands to myself." He held up his hands with a wry grin, and a smile tugged at Marinette's lips.

"So, you two really aren't dating?"

They both shook their heads. 

"Nope. Alya's my best friend, but she's _just_ my friend. I promise."

"Same," Alya agreed.

"So, you really don't mind that he-"

"Kissed you? Nah." Alya waved a hand and grinned. "Honestly, I'm surprised I didn't think to set you guys up before. The timing is pretty awful right now of course, but maybe one day."

Marinette bit her lip and glanced shyly at Adrien. "Maybe... wait, you said both of you would 'rather pursue other courses'? Do you mean you and Nino?"

Now it was Alya's turn to blush while Adrien snickered. She elbowed him in the ribs and glared but he just kept grinning.

"Wow, you two are like siblings," Marinette giggled. "I can't believe I didn't see it before."

"We're good actors," Adrien shrugged. "Besides, it's a lot easier to fake it with someone you actually like, and know really well, than with a stranger. It's why the story works so well."

"Yeah, maybe a little too well," Alya grumbled.

"So, why don't you change the story?" Marinette asked. The two friends stared at her. 

"M-my father-" Adrien began but Marinette waved him off. 

"I get what your father is trying to do, but this is _your_ life. It's _your_ story. You can direct it however you want."

The pair gaped at her. 

"... I can't believe I didn't think of that myself," Alya said, blinking. "And I'm the journalist!"

"Well," Marinette smiled. "To be fair, you're on the inside of this story, and Mr Agreste has held the reins so far. Take them back."

"Father's not going to like it."

"Weren't you just saying you were tired of all this?" Alya turned to Adrien. "You know I've been telling you for years to lay down some boundaries with him. You'll never be happy if you don't."

Adrien grimaced. "I know but-"

"He's your father, I know. He's the only family you've got. That doesn't mean you're alone, though. You know I'm here for you; my whole family is. We'll support you."

Adrien smiled and took her hand. "Thanks, Al. For putting up with me. You're a good friend."

She returned his smile with a wink. "Always, chaton."

Rolling his eyes, his smile widened. "yeah, yeah renette." 

Marinette watched the two friends interact with a soft smile. "So, what are you going to do?"

Alya cocked her head, a mischievous smile lighting her face. "I may have an idea."

* * *

"You want me to do what now?" Nino now stood in Alya's living room as well, staring at the trio with a raised brow. 

"Film an interview," Alya repeated. "Of me and Adrien. For my blog."

After Alya had explained her idea, Adrien had texted Nathalie, asking her to hold off on releasing any statements until he'd had a chance to talk to Alya. A lie, of course, but amazingly, she'd agreed. He knew it wouldn't hold them off indefinitely, but he'd bought them some time. Now they just needed to get working as soon as possible to beat his father to the punch. 

"Right... and why can't you do that yourself?"

"Because we want to make sure we send the right message here. I may be using my blog as the platform, but I want this video to look as put together as possible."

"Wouldn't a homemade video, or better yet, a livestream, be better though? More authentic?"

"Maybe, but livestream leaves too much room for error, and I'm a writer; video editing isn't really my forte." 

"Uh-huh. Can I ask why the rush?" he asked, looking around at the three of them skeptically. Marinette blushed, Adrien suddenly became very interested in the ceiling, and Alya sighed. 

"It's a bit of a long story, so let me sum up. Adrien and Marinette ran into each other at the market this morning, and their picture was taken. It's already all over the internet. Marinette was- confused, as to why I wasn't upset, so we explained everything to her. Anyways, we've decided we're pretty much over the whole thing, so we're trying to take control of the story before Adrien's father can continue manipulating everything in his favor."

"Obviously, we can't tell the whole truth," Adrien continued. "That would just make things worse, but we'd like to start controlling the narrative. We gotta move fast though, or my father will lose patience and end up making a statement that's going to get us even more stuck than we were before."

"We already know what we want to say, we just need you to film us." Alya clasped her hands together, pleading.

Nino's eyes narrowed and he smirked. "Kind of like you begging," he murmured, making her blush. Adrien coughed, hiding a smile.

"I don't have my camera," Nino sighed.

"That's ok! We can use my phone, it's got pretty good resolution," Alya assured. "We just need you to help edit. I'll upload and do everything else. Please?"

Nino glanced at Marinette who gave him the same pleading pout and relented. "Fine. Where are we doing this?"

* * *

It took a little over an hour and a half to get Adrien and Alya appropriately prepped and attired, and to relocate to Adrien's suite at Le Grand Paris which had better lighting. By then, it was already late afternoon, and they were running out of time. 

"Ok, you guys set?" Nino asked, taking a seat on a stool in the kitchen while Alya and Adrien sat on the other side of the island bar, the Paris skyline visible through the windows behind them. 

They both nodded. "Yep."

"Alright then." He pulled up the video app on Alya's phone and raised the camera. "Let's do this."

Alya took a deep breath and waited for Nino's signal before smiling and plunging ahead. "Hello, Ladyblog viewers! Alya here. Today, we're going to do something a little different. I know I don't usually post video on here, but I think you're going to be interested in this one, because I have a special guest."

She paused while Nino zoomed out to put both of them in the shot and gave them a thumbs up. "Everyone, meet Adrien Agreste! Adrien, say hi to the viewers."

Adrien put on his best model smile and waved at the camera. "Hello, everyone!"

"Thanks for joining me today. I know you don't usually do interviews."

"Anything for you, Al."

The pair smiled at each other, and Alya turned back to the camera to explain. "I'm sure most of you have seen the articles about Adrien and I by now. Some of you have probably also seen the picture from this morning of Adrien at the market with another girl."

Adrien gave the camera a playful wince.

"Since I'm sure we all know how easy it is for the media to twist facts, and especially photos-" she gave the camera a pointed look. "-in order to sell gossip; Adrien and I have decided to try and set the record straight. And we wanted you to hear it straight from us. So... let's start at the beginning..."

 ****  
  
 ~~~~  


 

"Thanks for watching, you guys! We hope we've cleared some things up for you, and that you'll all continue to be the amazing, wonderful, understanding people that you are. Until next time, Alya out."

Nino stopped the video as Alya saluted the camera and looked at the three people huddling over his shoulder. Marinette had gone to grab his laptop with his editing software while they filmed, and he'd just finished playing the final cut for them. "Well?"

"It looks awesome, Nino!" Marinette beamed.

"Yeah, it's perfect," Alya agreed. "Great job." She squeezed his shoulder and he winked at her.

"Thank you for doing this man," Adrien said with a grateful smile. "We really appreciate it."

"No problem," Nino nodded. "You ready for it?" he asked Alya.

"Yep, just send it to my phone, if you please."

Once she had the video, she pulled up her blog and wrote a short snippet, attaching the video. She then went to all her social media accounts and posted an announcement about the new blog update with a link and a "DON'T MISS!"

"Here's goes nothing," she said as she hit 'post' on the final page. "And now, we wait."


	9. And if you don’t love me now...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is sort of a bonus chapter for you guys. Not really a whole to do with the over all plot. Not directly at least. Just a fun little look at some other characters outside our main four as they react to Adrien and Alya’s Video. 
> 
> Enjoy!

Gabriel paced in his home office, his agitation increasing the longer his son continued to ignore his calls, texts and e-mails. _What was wrong with that boy?_ Had he not taught him better? Was it really so difficult to keep himself out of trouble? 

Up until recently, it had been easy enough to keep Adrien in line. He usually did whatever was asked of him with little to no complaint, and if he did have any affairs, he kept them discreet. In the last two months, however, he'd been caught with as many women. Add that to the rumors being circulated by Miss Rossi's friends and agent, and his son appeared to be turning into a Lothario. 

Whether it was actually true or not, was of little consequence. The gossip papers would say what they liked. And Gabriel, would not stand for it.

He'd spent the last several weeks, expending time, effort and money into turning Miss Cesaire into the ideal match for his son; at least as far as the public was concerned. He'd even taken on the girl's friend as an apprentice to appease her. Though, truthfully, that particular bit of kindness was proving to have been a brilliant decision so far. The girl had genuine talent.

Still, everything he had done for Adrien and his friend, and how had he been repaid? By having his son's picture posted all over social media with another woman. The very same friend he'd hired to work for him, at that. If she weren't already proving herself an asset, he'd be tempted to fire her, just to teach her to dare aim for _his_ son. 

And now, they were ignoring him and his team? When they were trying to save his reputation? Again?! No. He would not have it.

His team had already prepared a statement to be released regarding the article circulating from this morning, but he wanted to speak to his son first, to in order to make sure there were no more surprises.

Nathalie burst through his door suddenly without knocking, tablet in hand and a harried expression. 

"Sir, you might want to see this."

"What is it now?" he growled.

She held up the tablet for him to see, a video queued up, and paused on a shot of Adrien and Miss Cesaire. _What the blazes?_ Nathalie hit play, and Gabriel soon found himself demanding a drink or an antacid, or something for his nerves.

 

* * *

 

"Let's start with how Alya and I know each other," Adrien said to Alya, who nodded. "So, my mother, the late Emilie Agreste, was good friend's with the former Mayor Bourgeois' wife, Audrey. As a result, I spent a lot of time at Le Grand Paris as a child, where the Bourgeois family lived, as they had a daughter my age. Chloe." 

"Alya's mother, Marlena, worked in the kitchens at the time. Many of you may know she later became the hotel's head chef."

"I used to sneak out and explore a lot while my mother was working," Alya continued. "Which is how I met Adrien and Chloe when we were about... 8?"

"Sounds about right."

"Yeah. So, we hit it off right away, and Adrien's mother took a liking to me. I was invited to playdates and birthday parties, and all that fun stuff. Eventually we didn't see each other quite as often once Adrien started modeling, and especially after..." His mother passed away. She didn't say the words, but her meaning was clear by the pained looks on both of their faces. "Anyways, despite all of that, we still stayed friends, and have always been close."

"Yes," Adrien said, taking over the story again. "Now, as to the night our picture was initially taken outside Le Grand Paris, when all of this started; allow me to explain what _actually_ happened. Alya was attending the party that night as my guest, though we weren't actually there together, per se. It was a good opportunity for Alya to get some exposure both for herself, and for a friend, who had designed the beautiful gown she'd been wearing that night. A young designer by the name of Marinette Dupain-Cheng, who, coincidentally, is the woman in the photograph released this morning; but we'll come back to that."

"Unfortunately, over the course of the evening, red wine got spilled on Alya's lovely dress, and, since I have rooms at the hotel, I offered her something to change into while we tried to get the stain out. Which is why she was seen in my clothes in the photographs."

"Now, at the time the photos in question were taken," Alya took over again. "Adrien, being the amazing person he is, had just offered to show Marinette's portfolio to his father, having seen her talent for himself, both as a favor to me, and as a reflection of that talent. In my excitement, I was perhaps a little _enthusiastic_ in thanking him." 

They both chuckled and continued telling their story, taking turns explaining their own sides and perspectives.

"Now, as most of you already know, when these photos were released, there was a lot of speculation about our relationship; none of which was true, beyond us being childhood friends. There were also some rumors about me and a certain Italian model, which I can confirm, were also entirely false. I had only met the lady in question once, and very briefly."

"As we've already stated, photos can be misleading, and obviously these, and the stories that went with them, were no exception. Now, _I_ may be used to the spotlight, but my dear friend Alya, is not. It saddens me very much to say that her first introduction to it, was not a nice one. People didn't know her, or anything about her, beyond what they could gather from her blog and her profiles online, however, they were saying some very ugly things about her, none of which she deserved."

"Another thing this incident brought to light for the both of us, was the prospect of dating. Something, I admit, neither of us had ever considered before. Given the circumstances, we knew it would be useless to try and deny any involvement with each other, as we knew very few would believe us, and so we decided to give it a go. I had also hoped to restore Alya's good name, as it were."

Adrien smile charmingly at Alya, taking her hand. She smiled back, giving it a squeeze. 

"As you might imagine, since we've known each other so well, for so long, it didn't take terribly long for us to figure out that, while we got a long extremely well, our chemistry was much more platonic than romantic. Sorry, Adralya shippers." Again, they both chuckled before growing more serious. 

"We both apologize for the subterfuge in saying we'd been dating for sometime already, when the idea didn't even in fact occur to us until that night. It was, however, the easiest way to explain our sudden relationship and, admittedly, try to make us both look a little better. We, as a society, may not always talk about it, but gossip and the media can sometimes be an ugly and potentially damaging thing. Neither of us feels great about lying, but it was the best option at the time for all parties involved."

"Anyways, you might have noticed that we haven't been seen together in public in over a week. Aside from Alya accompanying me to a recent photo shoot in England, though she attended as a favor to me, and to gather some information for another Ladyblog post which should be going live later this week?"

"Yes. I'm doing a semi-historical piece on women of nobility. I hope to have that ready and posted by Friday, so be on the look out for that."

"Yes, should be interesting."

"So, anyway, there was a reason why we haven't been seen together, and that of course is that we had decided to 'go our own way' so to speak. But, don't worry, it was all very friendly. We love each other dearly, but as friends only. Adrien is still one of the kindest, most generous people I have ever known; which is why he's my best friend."

Alya grinned. Adrien grinned right back. 

"And Alya is still an extremely intelligent, and driven person, who will make a killer journalist, _and_ one of my favorite people in the world."

"Now, as to the photos released this morning... I already mentioned that Marinette is a good friend of Alya's. She also now works for my father, Gabriel Agreste, as a budding fashion apprentice. As a consequence, she's become a good friend of _mine_ as well."

"The picture itself has a very simple, and very innocent explanation, in that we had run into each other while exploring one of Paris' lovely outdoor markets. I accidentally startled Miss Dupain-Cheng, caused her to trip, and just wanted to make sure she didn't hurt herself. That's all." Adrien shrugged.

"It's also been reported that Adrien was seen 'fleeing, with the young woman in tow'," Alya chuckled. "That was just a knee jerk reaction to being bombarded with cameras when trying to stay anonymous. Adrien also was hoping to spare my friend some of the same negative attention I received when _our_ picture was first published. Which I very much appreciate as she is definitely one of the sweetest people I know, and very undeserving of that kind of hurt."

"Indeed. Now, we're both aware that there will still be many out there who will choose not to believe us, and that's ok. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. We just wanted a chance for you to hear our side of the story, directly from us, and not filtered through PR releases and misguided gossip."

"Thanks for watching guys! I-"

 

* * *

 

Chloe turned off the screen with a harsh click of a button. A storm of thoughts and emotions swirling in her head. 

"I knew it!" she cried triumphantly. She spun and pointed a manicured finger at her most loyal, subservient friend, Sabrina. "I _knew_ it couldn't be true! Adrikins would _never_ stoop so low as to date that lowly kitchen brat, Cesaire!"

Sabrina shifted uncomfortably. "But, that's not really what they-"

"I heard what they _said_ ," she snapped. "I also heard what they _didn't_ say. It was all a ploy from the beginning! They were never really dating. They can't _say_ that of course, because that would make Adrien look bad, but I know the truth!"

Sabrina pressed her lips together, fighting back the urge to roll her eyes and tell Chloe it didn't matter what she thought. No one ever believed her anyway, they just put up with her for the perks of being in the heiress' clique.

"That slug was just using poor Adrikins to make herself look good. Getting her fifteen minutes of fame to boost her pathetic blog's views. Disgusting. And now, she's somehow dragged that stupid baker's daughter, Dupain-Cheng, into it. Grasping little whore."

Sabrina sighed while Chloe continued to rant. For a moment, she considered secretly filming her to use as blackmail later and to show people how crazy she really was, but decided against it. Eventually she'd out herself... She really needed some new friends.

"Poor Adribear. Don't worry, I'll make sure she doesn't sink her claws in you too. The little hussy. I'll...."

Discreetly slipping in her earbuds, Sabrina tuned her out.

 

* * *

 

Marlena and Otis Cesaire blinked at the screen after the video ended. 

"Well," Marlena said after a moment. "I suppose that explains a lot. I thought it was odd they were suddenly dating. Adrien's a nice boy, but Alya's certainly never seen him that way." 

Her husband merely grunted in response.

"My poor baby, though. Dealing with all those hateful things people said about her. I hope they don't come after again now that this video is out. Or her friend Marinette. Alya's said such nice things about her."

Grunt.

"Alya's a strong girl though. She'll be fine. All of this attention's been good for her blog. She only posted the video an hour ago and it already has over a hundred thousand views! Isn't that amazing?"

Grunt.

"Our baby girl is on her way!"

Grunt.

 

* * *

 

"Oh dear," Sabine Cheng said, sipping her tea. "I hope Marinette knows her friends mentioned her in that video. Though I suppose with her picture already everywhere, people were going to find out who she was eventually. I hope it doesn't affect her job at Gabriel."

"I'm sure she'll be fine," Tom Dupain said as he got ready for bed in anticipation of another early morning at the bakery. "Our little girl has an uncanny ability to turn a bad situation in her favor. Besides, people will know her name now. You watch. She's going to be a famous designer one day!"

Sabine smiled fondly at her husband's enthusiasm. He'd always ben their daughter's biggest cheerleader. "I'm sure you're right dear."

 

* * *

 

An ungodly shriek was followed by the crunch of glass and plastic as Lila Rossi hurled her phone at the wall. Even as it lay cracked and chipped on the tile floor, the chirping sound of notifications continued to taunt her from across the room.

Ever since that stupid bitch, Alya Cesaire, had released the video of her and Adrien and their mini "tell-all", her accounts had been blowing up with messages and comments from people calling her a liar and a wannabe and all other manner of names. 

The plan to use Adrien Agreste had been perfect specifically because he was _known_ for never giving interviews. The blonde puppet usually just allowed his daddy's people to handle his public affairs, and she knew they would never directly address her claims that they were dating. 

People rarely believed it when a celebrity denied involvement with someone, and a lack of denial was often just as bad. Despite publicly dating another woman, most people, namely Lila's devoted fans and followers, still wholeheartedly believed the story that Adrien had left the Italian beauty heartbroken and betrayed, all while still sneaking around to try and see her in secret. 

She didn't care what people thought about her personally, as long as they believed the lie. Being linked to Paris' most eligible and elusive bachelor had gained her the notoriety and attention she'd been seeking. Now, with public opinion of her rapidly falling, her agent was worried that the contracts they were currently negotiating would fall through.

And they hadn't even mentioned her by name! How was that possible?! How did they manage to turn her own fans on her with just a few sentences? Who the hell had that kind of appeal?

Adrien Agreste and his little friend it seemed, were more formidable opponents than she initially estimated.

Perhaps it was time to consider a new strategy. A more honest approach....

HA! As if.

 ****

* * *

  
Gabriel Agreste was still pacing his office, though his strides were a bit more wobbly now, after a few fingers of brandy.

Adrien was still not answering his phone and Gabriel's fury was mounting by the minute.

How dare he? Going behind his back and releasing unapproved statements. And a video! What the actual hell?!

Adrien was going to pay for this. The moment he found him, Gabriel would have him under constant surveillance. He wouldn't be able to _breathe_ without his approval. He'd teach his son to undermine his authority! Children should respect and obey their parents-

"Sir," Nathalie's hesitant voice broke through his thoughts.

"What?!" he barked.

His secretary barely flinched, used to his moods, yet her cautious demeanor got his attention.

"Sir, I just received a message from Adrien."

Gabriel's steps came to an abrupt halt. "Well? What does he have to say for himself?"

"He's um... he says he's moving out of the mansion. Permanently."

"What?!"

"He says he's arranged for his things to be packed and moved out... tomorrow."

Gabriel's face turned an alarming shade of red. 

"He also says that he will continue modeling for the time being, but he's decided to enroll in university. To study business."

"No the fuck he isn't!" Gabriel's hollered. "Tell him to get his ass home right now. And freeze his accounts. He's cut off until he learns how **abide by my rules**!"

Nathalie shifted uncomfortably as Gabriel resumed pacing, mumbling angrily to himself. 

"I'm sorry sir, but I can't do that."

Gabriel rounded on her, his voice deadly quiet. " _Excuse me_?"

"Adrien had you taken off of his accounts some time ago. Legally speaking, all of the money in them was earned through his modeling contract with _Gabriel._ You don't have any authority to revoke it without breaching. I only have access to pay travel expenses and the like as needed."

Gabriel's face contorted in an ugly sneer. "Adrien is _my_ son. I will-"

"He's an _adult_ , sir," Nathalie said, a bit more firmly. "Has been for many years now. He's also smart. He's been gradually making changes to protect himself without you noticing. You don't actually have anything to control him with, sir. Not without causing a scandal and a potential legal issue."

For a moment, Gabriel said nothing. He stared at Nathalie and wide eyes and flared nostrils, his chest heaving. Then, all at once, he exploded. Pictures crashed to ground, and the contents of his desk scattered across the floor as he screamed.

Nathalie quietly backed out of the room, shutting the door with a small, proud smile.

****  


 


	10. Yesterday’s gone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was sitting half finished in my drafts for a while. Finally got around to finishing it 😂

For the first few days after the video was posted, Alya, Adrien, and even Marinette avoided being out in public much. As expected, once Marinette was named, and it was known that she was both a friend of Alya's, and an employee of Gabriel, it hadn't taken long for someone to find and out her. 

There was some negative response, as expected, but overall, the response was either positive or neutral. They'd taken a gamble publishing their own statements like that without running them through a PR team, but, in this instance, it seemed to have paid off. People seemed to appreciate the honesty and realness of the video. To keep up with their implication that the breakup had been both mutual, and amicable, they planned a few outings together where they would be seen, interacting in a friendly manner. 

One Saturday afternoon, Alya and Adrien invited Nino and Marinette out for a day around town. They walked around the same market Adrien and Marinette had been spotted in, and browsed the various stalls. Stopping in the bakery, they picked up a few sweet treats. 

"This feels like treason," Marinette muttered as she accepted her cupcake from the cashier, making the rest of the group snicker. 

Once they had their purchases, they exited the shop, spreading out across the sidewalk so that Marinette and Adrien were sandwiched between Alya and Nino. Adrien took a bite of his chocolate pastry, catching a whiff of Marinette's cupcake and moaned. 

"Oh my God, that smells amazing. What did you get?"

"Strawberry Rhubarb," she answered, smiling. She lifted it toward him to get a better sniff. 

He leaned in just as she tripped over a loose cobblestone, making her hand jerk upward, and smashing the cupcake into his face. He jerked back, startled. Marinette's face turned red as a hand flew to her mouth. She looked horrified. 

"Oh my God! I'm so sorry! I'm such a klutz."

Alya snorted into her cream puff, and Adrien side eyed her. A mischievous gleam entered his eye. "Think that's funny, huh?" 

In a surprisingly fast motion, Adrien swiped the frosting off his face and smeared it across the side of Alya's face, grabbing her arm to hold her in place when she tried to dodge. She gasped loudly, affronted, and drawing the attention of people nearby. 

Swiping some off with her finger, she lunged to smear some back on Adrien, but he ducked at the last second, and she caught Marinette's hair instead. Both girl's looked at each other with jaws dropped. With a chuckle, Marinette swiped some more frosting off her cupcake and swiped at Alya. Backing up, she pulled Adrien in front of her, and he caught it in the face again. 

Slowly turning around towards Alya, his nostrils flared as he glared at her. "Oh, it's on girl."

Grinning, Alya squeaked, and sprinted away, laughing wildly. "Gotta catch me first, pretty boy!"

Shoppers watched in amusement as Adrien and Alya chased each other around, while Marinette and Nino stayed behind, laughing. When he finally caught her, Adrien smashed his cheek into Alya's, rubbing her face until they were both covered in sticky frosting.

"Ah!" Alya shoved him away, pulling off her sugar coated glasses to wipe away tears from laughing so hard.

"Serves you right!" Adrien declared, laughing equally as hard. 

When their companions caught up with them, Adrien's laughter turned to dismay as he caught sight of Marinette's destroyed cupcake. "Oh, Marinette! I'm sorry. Let me get you a new one."

"That's ok," She assured him with a giggle. "I prefer a little less frosting anyways."

"Here." Nino handed him a napkin with a smirk before turning to Alya. Handing her a napkin as well, he took her glasses from her, carefully rinsing them off with water and wiping them with his own glass cloth.

"Thanks," she said, blushing slightly as she accepted them from him. The two stared each other for a beat before they were interrupted by muffled snickers from Adrien and Marinette. Clearing her throat, Alya replaced her glasses and looked around at the group. "So, what should we do next?"

Glancing around at all the people watching them with their phones out, Marinette made a suggestion. "I think we've been in public enough for one day. How about we head back to my parent's bakery and hang there for a while? We can play Mecha Strike?"

"You play video games?" Adrien asked, eyes lighting with excitement. 

"Play them?" Nino chuckled. "She's practically an expert. Actually, that's a great idea. I'd pay good money to see her kick pretty boy's ass. Let's go."

* * *

Marinette's parents had greeted them all warmly, even hugging Adrien, though it was the first time they had met. They looked askance at the remnants of pink frosting still smeared on Adrien's shirt, but kindly didn't comment. A few of the customer's lingering in the bakery gawked at the group as they entered and made their way behind the counter and into the house through a door hidden behind the prep area.

Up stairs, Nino grabbed them all drinks, clearly very comfortable in the house, while Marinette set up the game console. She handed Adrien a controller and took a seat on the couch next to him. Alya sat on the adjacent loveseat, smiling at Nino in thanks when he handed her a glass of water and sat beside her.

"Alright Princess," Adrien said as he settled on the couch with a comically serious expression. "Let's see what you got."

"Princess!?" Marinette repeated sounding appalled. 

He looked pointedly at the dainty pink sundress she wore and the hair braided around her head like a crown. She scoffed. "Fine. You're on Model Boy."

"Model boy? That the best you got?"

Alya chuckled while the two continued their trash talking, the nicknames they threw out getting more ridiculous by the second. "I can't wait to see how this goes down. Adrien's always been hella good at video games. He wasn't allowed to do much else growing up. But I've never seen Marinette play."

Nino smirked. "I hope his ego isn't too fragile. Mar's got mad skills with a controller. I guarantee you, however good you think _he_ is, _she's_ way better."

Alya narrowed her eyes playfully. "Care to make a bet on it?"

The confidence in his smirk heightened. "Oh you're on, foxy. Name your terms."

"Foxy?" She let out a surprised laugh. "Alright, if Adrien wins, you shoot my next blog video."

"Deal." She took his hand when he held it out to her and he captured it in his firm grasp, leaning in closer. "But, if Marinette wins, you go on a date with me."

Alya sucked in a breath. _Sneaky bastard._ "Are you sure _I'm_ the fox? You seem more like the trickster to me."

Nino just winked, turning to watch as Adrien and Marinette began their first round.

 

An hour later, they were both on the edge of their seats as Adrien and Marinette battled it out on round eleven, both of them tied 5-5.

" _Holy shit_ ," Nino groaned as Adrien landed a particularly impressive move. "Who knew pretty boys had such skills?" 

Alya just watched in amusement as her friends duked it out. Marinette was tenser than when she started playing, but she still looked relatively serene as she calmly watched the screen, her fingers flying over the buttons. It was such a juxtaposition from her normally energetic behavior, she almost wondered if she was possessed. 

Meanwhile, the normally poised Adrien, was half crouching on the couch, tongue hanging out his mouth and the controller held at such an angle she wondered how he managed to hit any buttons at all.

"I _tried_ to warn you," she said, voice lilting. "When you grow up with a father who barely lets you leave the house, you get really good at indoor activities."

Adrien growled. "Quiet! Trying- to- concen-tra- ahhh!"

A resounding  boom emitted from the TV speakers as Adrien's droid fell to the ground, and Marinette was pronounced the winner. Her composed demeanor disappeared as she stood and held her controller in front of Adrien, opening her hand dramatically so it dropped to the ground. "Boo-yah!"

Adrien toppled over the back of the couch, groaning theatrically. "Aww man!" he popped back up on his feet with a wry grin. "I guess this princess doesn't need saving."

"Damn right kitty." Marinette popped her hip, crossing her arms pursing her lips in a sassy pose.

Nino leaned back on the sofa looking very pleased with himself. "Looks like you owe me a date. _Foxy._ "

Scoffing indignantly, Alya copied Marinette's pose, crossing her arms and pursing her lips though her heart was pounding wildly in her chest. _Nino wanted to take her on a date!_  

"How does tonight work for you?"

Scoffing again, she turned away to hide her smile. Shivering when he leaned in to speak in her ear. "I'll pick you up at eight. Wear something sexy."

She turned to gape at him, but he'd already gotten up, pounding fists with Marinette and patting Adrien consolingly on the back before excusing himself. She only waited another few minutes, not even paying attention to the way Adrien and Marinette were still trading barbs and challenging each other to a new game, before she excused herself too. She had a date to get ready for.

 

Adrien did his best not to grin at the fire in Marinette's eyes as the two bickered playfully over who was the better player. Any other time, he would describe her as angelic, but with her eyes flashing, and her lips spilling out more colorful curse words than he'd ever heard from a woman, she was more like a little demon. It made him wonder what other sides of her there still were to discover. 

Alya had been right when she said they barely knew each other. He'd had no business kissing and lusting after her like he had. He was glad when she said she would allow him to get to know her better, and damn was he enjoying it. 

He hadn't realized they were alone, Alya and Nino apparently having slipped out while the two of them were arguing, until her parents came in from the bakery downstairs. Looking out the window, he realized the sun was already starting to go down. He was about to excuse himself, sure he had overstayed his welcome, when Tom and Sabine invited him to stay for dinner. 

"Oh," he felt himself flush at the unexpected kindness. Aside from Alya's family, no one had ever asked him to join their family meal before. It was certainly a step up from the lonely dinners at his father's mansion. Still, he looked to Marinette for her consent before accepting. "Thank you. I would love to."

He chatted with Tom and helped Marinette set the table while Sabine busied herself in the kitchen. They were a very friendly couple, asking him all sorts of questions about his hobbies and his life growing up while they ate dinner. The entire affair was no where near as chaotic as dinners with Alya's family, but much more relaxed than the formal meals he occasionally shared with his father where they sat on opposite sides of a gigantic table and barely spoke.

_This_ was the kind of family life he'd always craved. The life that had been taken away from him, along with his mother, so many years ago. Alya, God bless her, had tried to make up for it over the years by including him in her family's activities, and the occasional holiday. Even Chloe had tried to help in her own way, but it was never quite the same. By the time they'd finished eating, his heart was feeling unusually light as Marinette waved her parents off to bed, and he helped her clean up the kitchen and do the dishes.

They argued again over who would load the dishwasher and who would wash the pots, ultimately opting to share the load. They bantered the entire time they worked, and Adrien's cheeks were starting to hurt from smiling so much. It was such a simple, domestic activity, one most would consider a chore, but he was having _fun._

Marinette moved to the living room where she'd left her phone, while Adrien wiped the remaining soap and water from his hands. "Huh," she said frowning at the screen.

"Something wrong?"

"Not sure. I got an SOS text from Alya during dinner, but that was almost two hours ago."

"I hope everything's alright." Adrien frowned, picking up his own phone to see if he had a text from her as well, but there was nothing. Surely if something were truly wrong, she would've told him too.

Marinette placed her phone to her ear, drumming her fingers while it rang. When no one picked up, she ended the call and tapped out a text. "I wonder what's up."

They both stared at the screen, waiting for it to light up. When it finally did, Marinette frowned again, typing out another text. After a short exchange, she burst out laughing, wordlessly handing her phone to Adrien.

 

**Marinette:** Hey girl. Sorry I missed your SOS. Everything alright?

**Alya:** Yep. Fine. Non-emergency.

**Alya:** Sorry

**Marinette:**...ok? What was it you needed?

**Alya:** Nothing...

**Marinette:**... _Alya_

**Alya:** *sigh* I needed help picking a dress

**Marinette:** Picking a dress??

**Marinette:** For what??

…

**Alya:** A date

**Marinette:** Date?!?

**Marinette:** Who? When? Where?

…

…

**Marinette:** Alya?

**Alya:** Dinner. Tonight.

**Alya** :... with Nino

 

Marinette took her phone back and began texting furiously while Adrien grinned and sent a text of his own.

 

**Adrien:** You have a date with Nino??

**Adrien:**   And you didn't ask _me_ to help you pick an outfit?

**Adrien:**   I'm hurt... 😢

**Alya:** I hate you both

**Adrien:** Me? What did I do? 😇

**Adrien:** And what did Marinette do for that matter?

**Alya:** She's laughing at me, and you're teasing me

**Adrien:** Am not. I'm just saying you could've asked me for help. 

**Adrien:** Marinette isn't the only one with fashion sense you know?

**Alya:**  😒

**Adrien:** What did you end up wearing anyway? I know you took a picture.

…

**Alya:** [Image attached]

**Adrien:** _Dayum._  🔥😍😘

**Adrien:** Where you going looking like that girl?

**Adrien:** The internet is going to have a field day.

**Adrien:** Is that one of the pieces my father had made for you?

**Adrien:** Also, how did this happen? I feel so left out...🧐

**Alya:**   Dinner.

**Alya:** Yes, I know

**Alya:** Yeah, it's Gabriel

**Alya:** And none of your damn business.

**Adrien:**  🥺

**Alya:** Ugh, fine. 

**Alya:** We may or may not have made a bet on your and Marinette's game earlier.

**Adrien:** … who exactly was the winner?

**Alya:** … seriously?

**Adrien:** You bet on me?? I'm so touched ❤️🥰

**Alya:**   I'm so done with this conversation. 🤦🏽♀️

**Alya:** Gotta go

**Adrien:**   You love me

**Alya:** Byyyye

 

Adrien chuckled, looking up from his phone to see Marinette grinning too. "Well, this should be a great story."

 


	11. Wouldn't you love to love her?

Alya flitted back and forth between her bedroom and bathroom in a parade of outfits while Nora and her girlfriend watched on in amusement from the living room. 

"Ah, first date jitters," Lillian said with a smile as she leaned on Nora's arm. "I remember those."

Nora looked down at her curiously. "Were you like that when I took you out the first time?"

Lillian blushed and giggled. "A little. You were kind of intimidating and I wanted to impress you. I think I went through about half my closet before you knocked on the door and I was out of time. Punctual as usual." She leaned up and gave Nora a quick peck, who dropped her arm from around her shoulder, to her waist, pulling her closer.

"Aw, angel. You didn't have to impress me. I wouldn't have asked you out if I didn't already like you. Plus, you know I don't care much about that stuff. You could've worn a garbage bag and I would've thought it was smokin'. I was just glad you said yes."

The couple grinned at each other as Alya stormed back into her room again, her makeup still half done. "Here we go again," Nora muttered, dropping her head back on the couch with a groan.

The clacking of hangers could be heard, along with a few selective curses before Alya appeared again, this time in a slinky, sage green dress that hugged her curves. "What about this?" she asked with a slightly manic look in her eyes.

"Ooooh," Lillian cooed, waggling her eyebrows. "Me likey."

"Isn't that the same dress you just had on?" Nora asked, to which she received a glare in response.

"That last one she had on was silk with flutter sleeves, this one is chiffon with spaghetti straps," Lillian explained patiently.

"They look the same to me," Nora shrugged.

Alya gave an exasperated groan and tried again to FaceTime Marinette, who of course, didn't answer. "Come on girl. Pick up! You can't still be playing video games."

Lillian smirked. "I don't think I've ever seen you like this before, Al. Who is this guy you're going out with again?"

"A friend of a friend," Nora offered. "Nono, or Nanu, or something."

"Nino," Alya corrected, rolling her eyes before stomping back off to the bathroom to finish her makeup. 

"She moved on from Adrien awfully fast," Lillian said quietly.

Nora waved a dismissive hand. "I never really thought those two were right together anyways. Agreste wasn't man enough for her."

"Is this one?"

"I suppose we'll find out soon."

Alya popped back out of the bathroom having finally finished her makeup. "Seriously, though. What do you think? I don't have much time left, he's going to be here any second. Is this one ok, or was one of the other ones better?"

Lillian opened her mouth to respond but was interrupted by a knock at the door. With a squeak, Alya disappeared into her room, while Nora unwound her arm from around Lillian and leaned forward with a wicked grin, rubbing her hands together. "Ha! Snack time!"

Standing to her fullest height, she slapped on her best 'boxer' face and opened the door. On the other side was a guy who only had about two inches on her and, while muscular, didn't look like much of a threat. He had been leaning casually against the door frame but straightened up immediately when he saw her. She looked him up and down with a slight curl of her lip, enjoying the way he squirmed and decided she could take him.

"Uh, sorry," he said, rubbing the back of his head and looking between his phone and the number on the door. "I thought- that is, I'm looking for Alya. Cesaire?"

Nora grunted. "You Nono?"

"Nino?"

"You don't know?" Nora raised a brow as Lillian poorly muffled her snort of laughter.

" _Nora_!" Alya shouted from her room. "Let the man in."

With another grunt, Nora stepped aside and Nino edged his way into the room, awkwardly lifting a hand in greeting to Lillian who waved from her seat on the couch. Alya poked her head out  into the hall, offering him a small smile before disappearing again. "I'm almost ready, just give me one second."

Nino turned back to the other two ladies in the room. The big one who'd answered the door, he could now clearly see was Alya's sister; they had the same light brown eyes and even pursed their lips the same way. The little, brown haired pixie on the couch hopped up, holding her hand out to him with a wide grin. She reminded him a bit of a girl he knew back in school.

"Hi! I'm Lillian. Since my girlfriend is terrible at introductions," she gave the big one a fond smile. "This is Nora, she's Alya's older sister."

"And roommate," Nora said, raising a pointed eyebrow. "And you can call me Anansi, flyweight."

Nino bristled slightly, before noticing the smirk lifting the corner of her lips and realized she was just messing with him. Right? He chuckled uncomfortably and scratched the back of his head. "So, is this the part where you ask what my intentions with your sister are?" he asked, trying to diffuse the tension. 

She crossed her arms and looked him up and down again. "No flowers? What kind of man shows up to a first date and doesn't bring flowers?"

"Uh-"

" _Nora_ ," Alya growled from behind him, finally emerging from her room. 

Nino spun around and nearly swallowed his tongue when he saw her. She always looked good, but she also usually looked too polished for his tastes. Too much like the Agreste ideal of the perfect woman, with her perfectly coiffed hair and her flawless makeup and stylist picked designer wardrobe. Even that day in England, she'd still looked a bit like an Agreste fashion doll. While he assumed the dress she was wearing, that was skin tight and slit up to her thigh was Agreste approved, the rest of her didn't seem so.

Her hair, which was usually in smooth waves or sleeked straight, now sat in big, wild curls around her face. Instead of her usual neutral makeup that she wore out to formal events, her lips were painted a bold shade of red, and her eyes were lined with thick black liner and shadowed in gold powder. The rest of her makeup was so light, he could actually see the freckles dotting her nose and cheeks, just like he had in the maze. 

"Wow," he said as she grabbed his hand and dragged him towards the door, and he happily let her. He rather liked 'take charge' Alya.

"Where are you planning on going tonight?" Nora asked

"To dinner," Alya called back as she grabbed her keys from a hook by the entrance and opened the door.

"When will you be back?"

"Late!" She pulled him through the door and shut it quickly behind them.

"Late, huh?" he teased, with a lopsided grin.

She gave him a flat look and shoved him down the hall towards the elevator. "Shut it."

 

Back in the apartment, Lillian watched as her girlfriend collapsed on the couch in a fit of giggles. "Oh, she is going to eat him alive!" Nora howled.

* * *

Alya bit her lip from behind the menu she was hiding behind. She was bubbling with energy and it took all the self control she had to keep it from showing. Her lower leg was fairly shaking with the need to tap out a nervous beat on the tiled floor with her foot.

She hated that she felt this way. She didn't want to be nervous, she wanted to be angry. Angry at how this all came about. At his underhanded way of dealing with her. Of how he always seemed to be the one holding the cards; always in control.

She peeked over her menu at him. _Damn, he looked good tonight._  He always looked good, and boy, didn't he know it. He knew she was attracted to him, and he didn't hesitate to use that against her. She could tell he was a man who was used to getting what he wanted; except perhaps where his best friend was concerned. Then again, Marinette struck Alya as the kind of woman who could wrap any person she met around her finger, all the while completely unaware of the power she held over them.

No, Marinette was the exception, and everyone else was subject to the man's assholery; making demands and expecting to be obeyed. (Rather ironic, considering he seemed to despise Gabriel Agreste so much.) And Alya was having. none. of .it.

She had allowed her attraction to him to cloud her mind before, and now he thought her an easy target. She'd soon cure him of that. No one pushed Alya Cesaire around.

They were sitting at a corner table in a swanky restaurant where she assumed his boss must have gotten them reservations. She peered around at the other guests, noting with relief that none of them seemed to be paying attention to them. No one seemed to recognize her, or if they did, they didn't care. It was a nice change of pace from the last few weeks.

A stuffy looking waiter approached to take their drink orders, and as expected, Nino had begun to order for them both. "Yes, we'll have a bottle of-"

"Actually," she cut in with a saccharine smile. "I'd _love_  a dirty martini."

The man merely looked to Nino for confirmation.

"Are you sure?" He asked with a slightly raised brow. "Red wine would pair better with most of the dishes on the menu."

She knew this very well, but it was the principle. He hadn't even bothered to _ask_  if she wanted red wine, just  _presumed_  she would be okay with whatever he chose. That was a dangerous precedent she had no intention of allowing to set. 

She turned her sweet smile on him, her eyes holding just the slightest bit of edge. "I'm sure you're right, but I'm not really in the mood for wine tonight."

He blinked, recovering quickly. He snapped the wine menu shut, setting it aside. "As the lady wishes. I'll have your Chateau Noir, Pinot."

 "Very good, sir."

As soon as the waiter was gone, Alya again hid behind her menu, and the two sat in silence until the man returned with their drinks, asking if they were ready to order. She barely suppressed an eye-roll as he again ordered for them both "We'll have the chef's special with chicken, and side of potatoes. Salad to start please."

Alya turned to the waiter with the same sweet smile as before, stopping him before he could take her menu. "I will actually have the veal special, with asparagus, please."

The waiter looked at Nino, who pressed his lips together slightly but inclined his head, and off the man went. It rankled her that the man felt it necessary to get Nino's approval instead of just accepting her decision, as though she were incapable of making it. This further added to her annoyance with the man sitting across from her. 

It so happened that she had in fact been eyeing the chicken special with potatoes and had been about to order it herself before her _date_  had so officiously done so for her. _Maybe he was just trying to impress you?_  said the voice in her head. _Maybe_ , she conceded, but there were better ways of doing that. He could have simply suggested the meal while they were both browsing the menu instead of waiting until the waiter arrived to order for her without so much as asking her opinion. What if she'd had a food allergy?

She wasn't a child and she didn't appreciate being treated like one. She was a grown woman who could make her own choices, and she deserved someone who respected that. Was this how he treated all the women he dated? She'd have to ask Marinette. Someone needed to take this guy down a peg or two. 

To her surprise, the conversation throughout the meal flowed quite easily. She'd been sure he would try to direct the conversation as he seemed to do everything else, but he listened to her talk about her blog and asked questions about her interests and career goals. He talked about how he got into photography, and how he hoped to one day transition into directing. He wanted to make movies and documentaries of all kinds; educational, inspirational, fantastical. 

There was a brief interlude towards the end of the meal, where she excused herself to the restroom after a missed call from Marinette and shared two rushed text conversations in the stall with her and Adrien. By the time she got back to the table, she was blushing slightly from their teasing and had nearly forgot her earlier annoyance with the man.

And then the waiter came to clear away their plates, and Nino asked for the check, waving away any inquiries about dessert. She didn't begrudge him that. With a head chef for a mother, she well knew that desserts in restaurants were often over priced, and usually out sourced as most didn't keep a pastry chef on staff. They'd be better off going somewhere that specialized in such things, if they did want dessert.

The next misstep came when it was time to pay, and Alya offered to at least pay her portion. "I've got it. Really, I insist," he said, pushing away her hand holding her card as he slipped his own into the book and handed it off to the waiter as he passed. 

She conceded with a little huff, tucking her card back into her wallet, while hiding a smile. At least he was a gentleman in this aspect. 

"You are stubborn woman," he said with a smirk.

"And you sir, are persistent."

He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table as he reached out to stroke one finger down her forearm, his eyes lazily wandering over her. "Well, I've found that nothing worth having comes easily; and nothing good comes to those who aren't willing to work for it."

She bristled, though he mistook it for a shiver. She was sure there was an insult in that comment. Whether for her or Adrien, she couldn't say. And she didn't much care to be considered 'something worth having' as if she were an object to be possessed or a prize to be won and not a human being.

Was she being a little overdramatic? Perhaps. Still, it was clear he thought he was winning her over. And boy, did he have another thing coming.

She pasted on a smile and silently thanked the waiter when he returned with Nino's card, giving her an excuse to pull her arm out of his reach. She took the moment while he signed the bill to collect herself and managed to keep a pleasant demeanor as he lead her back outside, placing a hand on the small of her back, and hailed a cab to take her home. 

The car ride was silent, and she held herself stiffly away from him in the backseat, hoping both he and the driver would assume she wasn't keen on PDA. He walked her up to her door, leaning against the frame as she fished for her keys in her purse. 

"I had a nice time tonight," he said as he trailed a finger down her arm. She fought the urge to shiver. 

The man needed a serious attitude adjustment, but damn if he wasn't still hot as all get out.

She hummed in agreement and he smiled, leaning in until their faces were just inches away. She groaned internally, the part of her that had been dying to know how he tasted since that day in the maze, but forced herself to deny him, deliberately leaning forward, out of the way as she slid her key into the lock.

"Well," she said as she turned the key and prepared to open the door. "Goodnight, Nino."

His hand shot out, closing around her wrist on the door, stopping her. "Hold on," he looked at her in confusion. "Am I missing something?"

"Missing something?" she asked innocently.

"Yeah, well- I mean, after the maze- I just-" he cleared his throat, looking a bit sheepish. "I sort of thought, you were- into me?"

She chose not to respond, wondering where he would take this.

"I just- I thought we had a good time tonight. Nice talk." He shifted uncomfortably. "Why do I get the feeling there won't be a second date?"

She fluttered her lashes up at him, drawing out that sugary smile from before. "Well, perhaps if you'd actually _asked_  for the first one instead of just expecting me to agree..." She shrugged delicately, her lips pressed into a pretty pout. She was, perhaps, laying it on a bit thick, but she wanted to make sure her point got across. 

His confused frown, morphed into more of a scowl. "Well, if you didn't want to come, why didn't you just say so?"

"For starters, you didn't give me much of a chance to. Also, I can't say no to a free meal."

He scoffed. "You knew this was a date. You had all that time until I picked you up, not to mention the entirety of dinner to say otherwise. And you still let me pay?"

She held up a finger, all trace of a smile gone. "Ah! I think you will recall that I did in fact offer to pay, and you _insisted_  you got it. Even so, what difference would it make?  _You_  invited  _me_  to dinner, not the other way around. And it's not like paying for dinner entitles you to anything."

He leaned in again until they were nose to nose. "You were ready to kiss me that day in the maze. What changed your mind? Missing the attention you got as Agreste's girl?"

"Or, maybe-" she put a hand on his chest and pushed him gently, but firmly away, "-you're just a bit too overbearing for my taste. What with _tricking_ me into a date instead of just asking, like a normal person."

"I thought girls liked the whole 'alpha male' thing," he scoffed, making air quotes.

"Women also like not being manipulated, and the ability to chose their own meal and drink at dinner." He gave her a bewildered look as she opened the door and slipped inside. "Thanks for dinner. Good night."

She shut the door and leaned against it with a sigh, nearly jumping out of her skin a minute late when the living room lamp suddenly snapped on. She spun around, pressing a hand to her chest, to find Lillian and Nora watching her with stern faces and raised brows. She stared at them for a moment before they both burst out laughing. 

"Jesus, what were you two waiting up for me or something?"

"Oh, please. It's barely after eleven," Nora looked pointedly at the clock. "We had just finished a movie when we heard you in the hall and decided to have a little fun with you."

Alya sighed, dropping her purse to the ground and kicking off her shoes. The couple watched her with slight frowns as she slumped to the kitchen and grabbed the half full bottle of wine on the corner of the countertop and a glass. She called back to her sister and Lillian. "Wine?"

"Got a match this week," Nora said. "No alcohol for me."

"I'll take a little."

She grabbed another glass for Lillian and poured some for both of them before heading back to the living room. Lillian took the glass from her with a thanks and a dubious look. 

"So, how'd it go?"

Rolling her eyes, Alya took a long sip and then told them all about her dinner with Nino. By the end of her admittedly colorful rendition, Lillian, and even Nora were both wincing. 

"Maybe he was just trying to impress you?" Lillian, ever the angel, suggested. "You know how guys get, sometimes. They always wanna seem- knowledgable..."

Alya gave her a dry look. "Yeah I had that thought for a second. But he could've just as easily done that by discussing the menu with me rather than just making the decision for me, as if my opinion didn't matter. What if I couldn't have chicken? Or didn't like red wine?"

Lillian grimaced. "I guess you have a point. Still, it's not exactly a deal breaker? I mean, you said the rest of the date went more or less fine, right?"

Nora snorted. "Yeah, but that's kind of a pet peeve for Al. She doesn't like being told what to think or do."

Lillian looked thoughtful for a moment. "So, what are you going to do about him? Will you give him another chance or no? He's your friend's, best friend right? You're bound to see him again."

Slumping back in her seat, she let her head fall against the back cushion, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I have no idea."

No one spoke for a minute in silent commiseration before Alya dropped her hand down at her side with a pitiful groan and a pout. "He was soooo cute too."

 

Later on, after she'd finally retired to bed, she got a text from Marinette, asking how the date had gone. Flopping down on the mattress, she called up her friend and prepared to give another disappointed recitation of the evening, though this time she was a bit more honest than she had been with her sister, for her friend's sake.

* * *

Nino sat across the cafe table from his best friend, bearing a judgmental gaze he rarely saw from her. Marinette was usually too polite to tell people what she really thought of them. Well, really she was usually too generous to think poorly of anyone in the first place. 

She and Nino had known each other for too long however. She never held back her opinion with him, but she also usually took his side. This time, she didn't seem to have much sympathy for him as he vented about his date with her friend the previous evening. 

"Ok, out with it. I assume Alya's already filled you in on what a 'manipulative asshole' I am? What exactly did I do wrong?"

Marinette held up her hands placatingly. "I've heard both sides of the story now. Her story pretty much matches yours, just from a different perspective and I gotta say, I get where where she's coming from."

"Well, pray, enlighten me," he said dryly, crossing his arms over his chest. 

"Well... for starters, you tricked her into going out with you-"

"We had a bet!"

"Yes, to which you didn't name your terms until after you'd already shaken on the agreement."

"Well, it's not like she objected."

"Maybe not, but she probably thought there wouldn't be a need. Adrien gave me a run for my money, I almost didn't win that bet for you."

"She still could've said no," he grumbled.

"And you still could've just  _asked_  her, instead tying her agreement to the outcome of a bet. Kind of forward to assume she'd say yes even if she hadn't lost, no?"

Nino rolled his eyes. "Whatever. What else? You said 'for starters' so I assume there's more than one point here?"

"Yeah... you also tried to order for her."

Nino blinked at her for a moment. "Well, Pierre had made some recommendations when he made the reservation," he shrugged. "I didn't see anything wrong with getting what I already knew would be good."

"Ok, but did you actually  **tell** her that? Did you discuss it at all? Ask if that was ok with her? Or did you just jump straight to ordering?"

Nino opened his mouth to argue before realizing he hadn't in fact discussed it with her. With a frown, he snapped him mouth shut again and sat back in his seat, thinking it over.  _"Women also like not being manipulated, and the ability to chose their own meal and drink at dinner."_  Alya's exact words.

Most of the girls he had dated in the past were relatively meek, more of the submissive variety that were content to allow him to make decisions for them without much fuss. He wouldn't necessarily say that was how he preferred things, but he wasn't opposed to it. And he was certainly  _used_  to it. He hadn't even thought twice before making the decision for Alya. He just  _assumed_  she would agree, just as the others would have. 

That had clearly been a mistake.

Marinette, reading his thoughts on his face, gave him a wry smile. "Alya's the proud owner of a blog that focuses mainly on feminist topics... what did you expect? Of course, she's going to want to have her say. As a matter of fact, she told me she'd been considering the same things you'd chosen, but she'd purposely ordered something else to make a point."

Nino sighed, rubbing a hand across his face. "Of course she did."

"She also mentioned your comment about alpha males..."

A groan.

Marinette chuckled. "You're not entirely wrong on that score, but there's 'take charge', and there's  **controlling**. Most women, especially ones like Alya, want to know their opinions and preferences are at least _considered_. If you wanna be the one who actually places the order at dinner, that's fine; but you should at least ask her what she wants, or if she's ok with your suggestion before doing so."

Nino groaned into his hands. "Have I completely fucked this up?"

"Mmm... No. I wouldn't say so. I'd just be a bit more conscious going forward maybe?  Alya isn't like your former girlfriends. She's got a personality as strong as yours. I have a feeling she doesn't mind handing over a bit of control so long as she feels like she's not just along for the ride. If you know what I mean?"

"I think I do."

 


	12. Will you ever win?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a short chapter to warm you up for the holidays 😉
> 
> I’ve been busy with the typical holiday parties and what not and soon tax season will be starting (the horror😱) so I probably won’t have as much time for writing as I would like but I’ll do my best!
> 
> Also, I’m once again looking for potential beta readers for an independent novel. Hit me up on tumblr if you’re interested! Tiggertink08 ❤️  
> 12/20/19

"Dinner?" Marinette asked, blinking at the beautiful blonde sitting across from her in the corner of her parents' bakery. Alya and Nino were at the table with them, arguing loudly over  the merits of hip-hop versus R&B, though she knew Alya was still listening to their conversation with half an ear. 

"It doesn't have to be a date!" Adrien said hurriedly. "I just- want a chance to get to know you better." He smiled sheepishly and Marinette had to work to keep her face mostly neutral. Inside though, she was screaming.

Adrien Agreste wanted to get to know her better! Wanted to take her out to dinner and spend time with her.

She'd buried her little crush on him once she'd found out he was dating her friend, although it hadn't been easy after that first encounter they'd had at the bar. The moment she'd looked into his eyes had been electric. 

Then he'd kissed her unexpectedly the day they'd run from a mob of his fans. She hadn't allowed herself to think of it much. She'd mostly been too shocked and angry, thinking he was playing her friend - which of course she now knew wasn't true at all. Thinking about it now though, she imagined that if she'd allowed herself to accept it, it would've been a nice kiss. Adrien was a big guy, for a male model. Unlike most in the industry, he wasn't a waif. He was lean and muscular, and tall. She only came up to about his chin in heels. His warm, hard body had felt good pressed up against her in that little alcove, and she couldn't deny that a part of her had been hoping he'd kiss her when he looked down at her with those beautiful green eyes of his.

Once she'd understood what was really going on with him and Alya, it had been relatively easy to forgive his forwardness, and her crush on him had started to take over the more time she spent with him. He was charming and funny and a total dork. A far cry from the suave, debonair model he usually portrayed for the public. 

It had been a few weeks now since they had released the video on Alya's blog, and interest in their story was slowly starting to dwindle. She had received some backlash but it had been relatively minimal. She'd spent more time with Adrien in the weeks since, but other than the night he'd stayed for dinner after she'd whipped him at Mecha Strike, she hadn't spent any time alone with him.

He'd been worried his father might try to retaliate against her, and had lawyered up to protect both her and himself from his father's wrath. So far her job seemed to be safe (not for a lack of trying on Gabriel's part), but she wasn't particularly inclined to stay. She already had a few prospects lined up that she had interviewed with over the last few weeks. She was just waiting to hear back before she made any decisions.

She was still a little disappointed that she wouldn't be working at Gabriel Fashions anymore. That had always been her dream job. But after working with the man himself, and especially after hearing about his reaction to Adrien's confessions - there had apparently been much yelling and threatening and a general tantrum involved - she'd learned that while he was a truly brilliant designer, he was also a terrible person. 

Never meet your heroes right?

"Or we could do lunch? Or just coffee? That'd be less romantic. I mean- not romantic. Just- you know, less date-like. Not that it's a date. I don't think it's a date. Or at least, I'm not expecting it to be a date. Though, I wouldn't mind. Only if you're ok with it of course! It being a date. Not that it has to be. Just friends is totally cool, too!"

Adrien started rambling and Marinette realized she'd been staring at him with out responding. Poor man. He looked almost undone with nerves. It was adorable and ridiculously flattering.

"I love you!" Marinette practically shouted as she interrupted Adrien's rambling.

Beside them Nino and Alya stopped their argument to give Marinette startled looks. Adrien's eyes widened comically as a few other patrons stopped to stare at their little table.

Marinette felt her face flush red. "I mean, I'd love to! Do you. I mean do dinner with you!"

Alya slapped a hand over her mouth to hold back a laugh while  Nino looked slightly horrified.

Clearing her throat, she tried again. "Dinner sounds great. Let's, um, do that."

"Great. Uh- How about tomorrow night? Or maybe next week sometime, if you already have plans?"

"I'm free tonight?" she said quietly, trying not to draw anymore attention to them.  

"Oh- I- j- uh... Uh, yeah! Ok, great!" He said excitedly as he squirmed in his seat, clearly trying to restrain himself. Lord, he was adorable. "Tonight works. Uh... do you like Italian?"

She smirked. "Who doesn't?" Beside them Alya and Nino watched on in amusement.

He chuckled. "Ok. There's this little place down by the river. A bit of a hidden gem really. The owner is from Sicily, and the food is fantastic. Should be quiet enough to not draw much attention. Although, I think the media has mostly given up on us since we haven't really given them much to work with lately."

Marinette giggled. "Yeah, no jealous exes or fighting amongst friends. It's almost like we're grown, civilized adults."

"Imagine that," he grinned at her. "Ok, so, tonight then? How does eight o'clock sound?"

She glanced briefly at the clock on the wall across from her. It was four in the afternoon, still plenty of time to get ready. "Sounds great."

"Great! Well, I should see about making a reservation. Hopefully they're not too busy with it being Saturday. The owner usually makes room for me though." He pushed back from the table, reaching for his phone in his pocket as he stood.

"Are you leaving?" Alya asked.

"Yeah, I, uh-" he flicked his eyes towards Marinette. "-have some things to take care of."

"Ok, I'll walk with you."

"Uh, actually Alya," Marinette grabbed her friends hand. "I was hopping you could help me with something." Her gaze darted to Adrien unconsciously.

"I can help you Mari. I'm not quite ready to go home yet," Nino said, watching Adrien from the corner of his eye.

Marinette made a face at her best friend. "That's ok, Nino. This isn't really your thing. A bit of girl talk."

"I can girl talk with the best of them," Nino said, soundly mildly offended.

She grinned. "I know you can. But in this case, I'd like to talk to an _actual_  girl." Alya snorted.

Nino scowled playfully. "Fine." He stood from his seat and turned to Adrien. "I guess I'm coming with you then."

"Cool, we'll see you ladies later."

* * *

Up in Marinette's room, she shuffled through her closet anxiously while Alya chatted from her spot on the chaise. 

"So this is like a date-date then? Like for real?"

"Yes. No. I have no idea. We don't really know each other and I would kinda like to take it slow. We just shook off the public interest, I don't want them getting any ideas and coming after me next."

Alya laughed. " ' _You don't really know each other.' "_ she mimicked. "That's the whole point of dating. _To get to know each other_."

"Ugh, I know!" Marinette moaned as she pulled another top off the rack, frowned and then tossed it aside. "I'm just nervous. He's this gorgeous celebrity with a hoard of adoring fans. He's a literal supermodel, Alya! It's kind of intimidating."

Alya snort laughed. "You know perfectly well there isn't a damn thing about that boy that's intimidating. He's ridiculously good looking, sure, but he's a total teddy bear. You could have that boy wrapped around your finger like that-" she snapped her fingers. "Actually, I'm pretty sure you already do."

Marinette poked her head out of her closet and studied her friend. Was that a hint of jealousy she'd heard? "You've really never considered dating him before? Like for real dating?"

Alya made face. "No. Well, actually that's not entirely true. I thought about it for like a second when this whole thing started, but after we kissed the first time, I knew it would never work. Don't get me wrong, the man can kiss; you're a lucky girl. But there was just no spark there. I felt nothing."

"Hmm." Feeling confident her friend had no interest in Adrien, she returned to her perusal of her closet, wondering if she'd just imagined that tone of jealousy. Then a thought occurred. "What's going on with you and Nino? Has he asked you out again?"

"No..." Alya sounded disappointed and a tad petulant. She could just imagine her friend pouting as she lay draped over her chaise lounge. Very dramatic. She smiled to herself.

"Have you guys talked about that night at all? Did he apologize?"

"Sort of. He at least apologized for the things he said at the end of the night. But he didn't seem all that sorry about anything else."

"Should he be?" Marinette asked, considering the dress in her hand. "What about this?" she asked, walking out of the closet and holding it up to herself.

It was a simple black cocktail dress with cap sleeves and a somewhat modest v-neck with a hem that fell just above her knees. There wasn't much too it, but if fit her well and was easy to accessorize .

Alya sat up and pursed her lips. "Hmm."

"It sounded like it was kind of an casual place. I don't want to be over dressed- Oh, wait!" She darted back into her closet, slipping on a pair of dark red heels and grabbed a matching belt. She tied the thin strip of leather around the waistband of the dress and reemerged. 

"Oh! Much better!" Alya's eyes lit up as she joined Marinette in her closet, rifling through her jewelry collection. "Ah ha!" She held up a pair of simple, dangly earrings and a matching gold necklace. "This should draw some attention to your cleavage without being over the top."

Marinette flushed red. "I don't want to draw his attention to anything!"

"Nonsense! The boys already smitten with you. Just give him a little something to keep him on the hook." She winked.

" _Alya!_ "

"What?" she shrugged. "You gotta tease them a _little_. Keep 'em coming back for more."

She gave her friend a look. "How's that working out with Nino?"

Alya scowled. "He's an overbearing, alpha male, asshole. An Alphahole."

"An Alphahole?" Marinette laughed.

"Yeah! It's a thing, look it up. It's been a stupid trend in romance lately, which personally I think is dangerous. Like, I know romance novels are meant to be fantasy and not taken as realistic, but people do. And those kinds of guys are not the kinds of guys women should be vying for. Most of them are borderline abusive."

"Are you saying you think Nino is abusive?" Marinette asked darkly. 

"No! Of course not!" Alya looked taken aback. "Ugh, never mind me, I'm ranting. Of course I don't think that. I like Nino, I just think he needs a bit of a- attitude adjustment. I'm not sure what kind of girls he's used to, but I don't appreciate being told what to order, or guys who expect to get something in return for doing the bare minimum."

Marinette sighed. "I suppose that's fair enough. Its not entirely his fault though. All of Nino's exes were pretty... meek women. They let him take the lead in _everything_. That's kind of all he's known. He'd never been with someone as assertive as you, it'll take some adjustment. Try not to be so hard on him. I promise he's a good guy."

Alya huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Yeah, well, if he ever bothers to ask me out again, I'll try to keep that in mind."

* * *

After a quick shower, Alya helped her style her hair into a romantic upsweep and kept her makeup soft and neutral. "There!" Alya said, taking a step back to look at her. "You look awesome! Feminine, romantic, and a tiny bit sexy. Adrien's going to be eating out of the palm of your hand."

"You think?" Marinette asked, running her hands nervously over her dress. It's not too much?"

"You're asking me? Miss fashion designer?" Her friend chuckled. "Nah, you killed it. I wish I'd had you there to help me get ready for my date with Nino. Though, I think I did pretty well, if I do say so myself."

Marinette smirked. "Oh, I know you did. Nino practically waxed poetic on your outfit." He did no such thing, but he _had_ made a comment or two about how good she'd looked during his frustrated recitation of the evening. "But, I'll help you next time."

" _If_ there's a next time," Alya muttered, glancing at her phone. "Oh shit, I didn't realize how late it was, you best get your cute ass downstairs girl. Adrien will be here soon."

Sure enough, Adrien was already down in the bakery, talking with her parents as they closed the shop up for the night. The moment he saw her, he stopped speaking mid sentence, his mouth hanging slightly open as his eyes raked over her with a sort of awed appreciation. Marinette felt a thrill of satisfaction run through her, calming her anxiety a bit.

It did nothing for her crush on him though. The man looked good. As usual. He was dressed somewhat casual in dress loafers, fitted slacks and a dress shirt slightly unbuttoned with the sleeves cuffed up near his elbows. _Holy arm porn._

"Ready to go?" she asked.

"Y-yeah!" he stuttered, hurrying over to her. She saw her mother stifle a smile.

"You two have fun," Sabine said while Tom stood behind her, arms crossed over his massive chest with a mock sternness. 

"And have her home at a decent time."

" _Dad."_  Her father just winked at her. Alya snickered in the background.

"I'll take good care of her Mr and Mrs Dupain-Cheng." Adrien gestured towards the door. "Shall we?"

She let him lead her out of the bakery with a hand resting lightly on her lower back as she waved at her parents and Alya as she followed them out, turning in the opposite directions down the street. 

* * *

Alya waved her friends off before turning towards home, the smile only dropping from her face once her back was turned. 

She was happy for them, truly. They were adorably sweet together and she knew they'd make a good couple, but it just reinforced how unfulfilling her love life currently was. Her conversation with Marinette swirled through her head as she made her way home, and she wondered if perhaps the reason Nino hadn't asked her out again had more to do with her, or rather, her reaction to his behavior, than his interest in her.

Perhaps she should be the one to ask him out instead?

She stared down at her phone, thumb hovering over Nino's contact info, wondering if she was making the right call. Only one way to find out she supposed.

She hit call.

* * *

None of the three of them noticed the young journalist across the street, quietly snapping pictures of them as they exited the bakery. Once they were out of sight, the young woman grinned down at her screen as she scanned through the pictures she taken. There were a few of Adrien and Marinette making googly eyes at each other, and one of Alya, just as she was turning away, an almost frown on her face.

Her grin widened as she began writing the captions in her head. Interest in Adralya had been fading since the video they had posted a few weeks ago, but there was still enough that a well timed snippet with a catchy headline could send it surging again.

She turned towards home, eager to get to her laptop to start writing. This could be just the break she needed to boost her career and show her editor she had what it took to be a celebrity writer.


	13. I never did believe in the way of magic, but I’m beginning to wonder why

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 🎶Love is in the aiiiir! 🎶
> 
> Lots of fluff in this chapter for ya ❤️

Alya's heart beat wildly as she lifted the phone to her ear and listened to it ring. _Why the hell was she so nervous?_ It's not like she'd never called a boy before.

But this wasn't just any boy, and she knew it. He hadn't been just any boy from the first moment she saw him. Despite their previous animosity and disastrous first date, she was still wildly attracted to the man. Still wanted to get to know him. It had stung her pride a bit that he still hadn't called or texted, but perhaps it was time for her to take the leap instead.

It was the twenty first century. She was a strong, proactive woman. She didn't need to wait around for-

"Hello?"

She missed a step as the sound of his voice interrupted her thoughts. "Uh- hi, Nino. It's- Alya."

There was a slight pause. "Yeah, I know. I have caller ID."

"Oh. Right. Uh...." _Shit_. Why was her mind suddenly blank?

"... is everything ok? Did you need something?"

"Oh, no. Everything's fine. I just finished sending Mari and Adrien off on their first date."

"Oh. Ok."

...

Jesus, this was awkward. When had Alya ever been at a loss for words? _Wake up girl. Say something._ She forced her lips to move, and sound to come out of her throat.

"Um, so- I was just thinking... I think we may have gotten off on the wrong foot." She winced. That was an understatement. Her sentences were halting, but at least she was getting them out. Progress.

"Possibly..."

"I just- I mean, I don't know about you but, I was thinking maybe we could start over?" She closed her eyes, holding her breath as she waited for his response. 

There was a long pause before- "Is that so?"

"You don't agree?"

"Possibly."

She pulled the phone away from her face and took a sharp breath as she fought the urge to toss it. The man was infuriating. Why did she like him? "Kind of looking for a yes or no answer here Lahiffe." 

"Yes."

"Yes... what?"

"I agree."

Good God, she was going to strangle the man. Was it really so hard to give her a straight answer? Or did he just enjoy toying with her?

She opened her mouth, but he spoke again first. "What did you have in mind?"

She paused on the sidewalk. She hadn't really gotten that far. Honestly, she'd been more focused on taking that first step and calling him, she hadn't actually thought about what she wanted. 

"Uh, well... Our last, uh- date, I think maybe we were both trying a little too hard to impress. Fancy dinners at expensive restaurants I don't think are really either one of our styles."

There was sound like a puff of air being blown in her ear. Was that a scoff? Was he laughing? "Perhaps not."

She waited for him to say more. To actually say he wanted to see her again, but he stayed silent. God, he was going to make her do all the work wasn't he? Infuriating man.

A voice that sounded suspiciously like Mari's flitted through her head. _"You wanted him to be less aggressive. To show he could handle a more assertive woman. He's giving you the reins. Take them."_

She took a breath, focusing. "Yeah, so... I'm thinking maybe we try something a little more- casual?"

"Such as?"

She glanced at her watch. It was just past eight, the early summer sun was already set, but night hadn't quite fallen yet. Was it too early for a drink? It was a Saturday night. Was sitting at a potentially crowded bar surrounded by loud music and conversation really what she wanted to do?

Dinner seemed too intimate, and a movie was honestly a horrible first date idea- they were starting over so, as far as she was concerned, this was their first date. Assuming he wanted it to be a date...

"Coffee?"

"Uh, I have a family thing in the morning, but-"

"Oh, sorry. I meant now."

"Now? Like, right now?"

"Yeah... Unless you're busy?"

"...coffee sounds great."

She let out the theoretical breath she'd been holding since he answered. She felt herself smiling as they discussed cafes and agreed on one that was a short walk from where she was now. 

She hung up the phone and made her way there, a distinctive spring in her step.

* * *

"Thank you," Marinette smiled up at Adrien as he pulled out her chair for her.

He smiled back at her as he sat across from her feeling slightly nervous. He hadn't had a true first date in... well, ever. He'd _dated_ , but usually they were women his father had already vetted and approved. There'd never really been anything wrong with them- well, most of them- but they were all so... safe. Boring. Every interaction had been planned out, this was the first time he'd allowed a relationship to develop organically, and suddenly he felt like an inexperienced teenage boy instead of the twenty three year old man he was.

"It's nice in here, very cozy," she said, glancing around the tiny restaurant. The walls were covered in exposed brick, hand painted Italian scenes interspersed throughout. Low, romantic light was provided by candles hanging from little chandeliers and the tops of old wine bottles on each table.

Their server set their menus in front of them - freshly printed as the menu constantly changed per the chefs whim- and explained the nights specials before leaving them to ponder.

"Wow," Marinette said, her eyes scanning the list of options. There were only two appetizers, three entrees and one dessert, but as always, Antonio offered an incredible selection. "These all sound incredible, I have no idea what to choose."

"Well, why don't we order them all and try a little of each?"

Marinette looked up at him with wide eyes. He smiled, "It's what my mom and I used to do when we couldn't decide. We'd have a table full of dishes and stuff ourselves silly trying everything."

Her eyes softened. "Were you close with your mom?"

A weight settled on Adrien's chest. He hadn't really thought much about his mom in a while. She'd been gone so long, and his father never spoke about her, he sometimes thought maybe he'd imagined her. The thought made him sad.

"We were. She was- the brightest part of my life."

"You must miss her."

"I do. Though, I admit, I don't think about her as much anymore. Makes me feel a bit guilty."

Marinette reached out and laid her hand over his. The feel of her fingers on his skin was incredibly soothing for such a small, innocent touch. He hadn't realized how much he'd been missing that. 

Alya was a pretty physical person, he'd gotten used to her constant hugs and shots to the arm and ruffling of the hair. It was all very friendly and a bit like what he imagined having a sister would be. Chloe liked to throw herself all over him, but it never really felt friendly; and of course in his job as a model, people were constantly touching him, in a clinical sort of way as they dressed and undressed him. 

But this, this kind of genuine human connection, he hadn't had this. 

After his mother's sudden passing when he was a teenager, his father - who had already been a cold, detached sort of man - had retreated even further. Adrien had essentially been raised by his bodyguard and his father's assistant since then. Both of whom had been very hands-off with him. 

He felt sorry for his father sometimes. The man was hard to get along with at the best of times, but it was clear he'd never properly processed his grief. Just shut himself away even further from the world. A tragic event that should have brought them closer together, had instead made them strangers.

Even now, after publicly announcing his decision to retire from modeling, his father still hadn't bothered to speak to him himself. He'd instead had Nathalie call and email him constantly in an attempt to persuade him to change his mind. It only reinforced his decision.

He shook his head, clearing his thoughts. He wouldn't ruin this evening by thinking of his father.

Marinette had watched him silently as he lost himself in thought, and seemed to realize he was with her again. "Don't feel guilty. I don't pretend to know anything about the kind of loss you've experienced, but I don't think what you're feeling is wrong. You'll never truly forget your mother, how could you? But as time passes, and you heal, I don't think it's unusual to think of her less often."

A lump formed in his throat and he felt his eyes heat with threatening tears. Not trusting himself to speak, he turned his hand over under hers so their palms were touching and wrapped his fingers around her wrist, giving her a grateful smile. She smiled back and they shared a silent moment.

"I think one of everything sounds perfect." she said finally.

Glad of the subject change, Adrien set aside his menu and glanced at the wine list. "Are you a red or white girl?"

 

Their meal passed in pleasant conversation as they worked their way through a bottle of wine and the heaping plates of food crammed onto the tiny table between them. Upon hearing Adrien was dining in his restaurant, Antonio had sent out extra plates of food he'd made especially for them to the point the server had to bring out an extra table to fit it all.

They'd both wondered how they'd ever eat it all, and then laughed in the end when they'd cleared every last plate.

"Goodness," Marinette said, sitting back in her chair and laying a hand over her stomach. "That was probably the best meal I've ever had. I can't believe we actually finished everything." Adrien grinned at her.

The server had cleared away all of their empty dishes and removed the extra table while they attempted to digest. He returned at that moment with another tray bearing a piece of tiramisu, a very large cannoli and a bowl of chocolate gelato.

Marinette looked like she might cry. "Oh, heavens. We couldn't possibly eat all of this too. We didn't even order dessert!"

"Compliments of the chef," their server said with a smile.

Adrien just laughed as he set their latest offerings before them along with two small glasses and a bottle of limoncello. He was used to this sort of treatment, but Antonio was different than the people who usually schmoozed him because of his name. Antonio treated him like family. It was why he loved to come here.

"Come on, Marinette. Just a bite. You won't want to insult the chef by turning away his food do you?" He winked conspiratorially at the server who smothered a smile as he left them.

He cut his fork through the corner of the tiramisu picking up a small bite. He waved it in front of Marinette's face, letting her get a good whiff of the rich coffee aroma. She pouted before opening her mouth and letting him feed it to her. As soon as her lips closed around the fork, her eyes rolled back and a moan slipped out.

Adrien shifted in his seat. He felt that moan in every inch of his body. He silently chastised himself for the decidedly naughty thoughts that were now racing through his brain. She hadn't meant to be sexual, she'd just been expressing her enjoyment of what he knew was a very delicious confection. Besides, this was only their first date and he was a gentleman. He'd already messed up once by kissing her without permission. He would hold himself back until if and when, she expressed her _explicit_ interest in more.

She opened her eyes again as she swallowed, her baby blues sparkling in the candlelight. "Ok, that is amazing... I guess I can manage a few more bites..."

Adrien chuckled as he watched her polish off more than half of the desserts on the table before finally putting her fork down and declaring herself full. He opened the bottle of limoncello and poured them each a small measure, sliding her glass over to her. 

"And now, the finale." He raised his glass as she did the same. "Salute!"

"Salute!" she tapped her glass against his and swallowed the sweet and sour liqueur with a slightly sleepy grin. 

Adrien had already slipped his card and a generous tip to the server while Marinette had been preoccupied with her dessert, so he stood and offered her his hand to help her up. "How about a stroll to work off all of those carbs?"

She grinned as she allowed him to help her up and weave his fingers through hers as he lead her back outside. "I think I need a nap more than a walk but I'll allow it."

When they were back on the street, he tucked her hand into the crook of his arm and lead her down towards the river. It was a warm night, humid, but there were several other couples strolling along the Seine same as them. None of them paid him and Marinette any mind, and in return, neither did they. 

An older woman stood with a basket of roses, selling individual stems to passing couples and Adrien stopped to take one for Marinette. She smiled as she brought it to her nose and cuddled closer to his side as they continued on. They didn't speak much, both of them contented to enjoy the evening and the scenery. 

It was like a scene from a movie. Picture perfect, exactly the kind of romantic evening Adrien had always hoped to have one day. One that hadn't been scripted and orchestrated by his father or Nathalie.

A sudden tickling sensation on Adrien's forehead had him looking up towards the cloudy sky, just as the start of a surprise shower began. They darted for cover in a nearby side street, crowding under a small awning together to escape the rain. 

His body was pressed up against Marinette, her breath warming his neck and a sense of deja vu settled over him. This time though, when he looked down at her, her eyes weren't hidden by sunglasses, and her fingers were curled into the fabric of his shirt. Her lips parted as her gaze slid to his mouth and the invitation was clear.

His heart pounded in his chest as heat suffused his body but he forced himself to move slowly this time, giving her plenty of time to move away. When she didn't, instead pressing up on her toes to get closer, he closed the distance between them, pressing his lips to hers. 

Something he didn't recognize surged through his veins. It was more than lust, but it still had him feeling desperate for more. He'd meant for the kiss to be soft, gentle. Just a brush of the lips, an acknowledgement that they were feeling the same thing. The next thing he knew, he had her pinned to the wall, his hands wrapped around her waist as her fingers dug into his hair. 

His body slipped between her legs, pressing closer and she welcomed him, opening her mouth and inviting him to deepen the kiss. His brain still hadn't caught up with his body and it wasn't until after his tongue had dover into her mouth and he felt her warm hands slipping under his shirt - when had that come untucked?- that he remembered they were in public, and this was still only their first date.

_Slow down!_ His mind screamed. As much as he wanted to take everything she was willing to give, and she certainly felt willing, he didn't want to rush this. He liked her, and he was still getting to know her, and he'd never had a real relationship before. He wanted to do it right. 

Reluctantly, slowed his attentions, gradually pulling back until his forehead was pressed to hers and they were both panting heavily. The sounds of raindrops had slowed to a trickle and it would soon be safe to resume their walk. It was getting late anyways and he should probably take her home. Though, he fairly rebelled at the thought of leaving her already.

Her lips brushed his as she whispered, breaking the silence. "That was... wow."

Adrien swallowed hard. "Yeah," he breathed. "Wow."

They sat their for another moment, neither of them moving as their breathing returned to normal. The rain had finally stopped. "I should-" Adrien cleared his throat at the slight hitch in his voice. "I should, probably get you back home. I didn't promise your father I wouldn't keep you out late." He smiled ruefully as she huffed out a laugh.

"Perhaps you're right." 

He forced himself to pull away from her, giving her space, but he didn't go far. Her hands were still on his hips, the tips of her fingers still brushing his skin, like she didn't want to let go either. The sound of voice approaching from the street pulled them both back to reality. The last thing they needed was someone recognizing them and their picture ending up all over the internet again. 

Adrien tucked his shirt back in and ran his fingers through his hair to settle it as Marinette put herself to rights. He took her hand again and led her back onto the street, directing them towards her home. 

They reached the doors of the bakery much sooner than either of them wanted and they lingered there, their eyes locked, fingers still intertwined. All sorts of feelings were swimming through Adrien in that moment. Things he'd never really felt before. Longing, excitement, anxiety. Hope.

"Thank you for dinner," Marinette finally said, her voice soft. "And for the rose. I had a really nice time."

"You're very welcome. I had a nice time too." He rubbed his lower lip between his teeth, wanting to kiss her again, but afraid to end up like they had a moment ago, this time in front of her parent's bakery. 

She stepped closer, seeming to want the same thing and he couldn't resist, leaning down to meet her. By some miracle, he managed to keep this kiss respectful and appropriate, though it still had his blood singing. 

"Goodnight, Adrien," she whispered against his mouth.

"Goodnight, Marinette."

She backed away from him towards the door, smiling at him. Their fingers held together until he finally let her go so she could fish her key out of her purse. He stood there and watched as she unlocked the door, slipping inside. She peeked over her shoulder at the last second, giving him one last smile before she disappeared. 

Adrien sighed as the door clicked shut and, in a daze, turned his feet in the direction of the hotel he'd been living out of while he looked for an apartment, a dopey smile on his face.

* * *

Alya's pulse fluttered as she took a seat in the corner of the cozy café, hugging her mug to keep her hands occupied. Nino sat across from her in mismatched armchairs, neither of them looking directly at the other.

"Thanks for meeting me," she finally said, unable to take the awkward silence anymore. They'd barely said a word to each other since they arrived and she was starting to worry that perhaps she'd read it all wrong. Maybe they really didn't have the chemistry she'd been so sure of before. At least, not when they weren't at each other's throats.

"Thanks for inviting me," Nino said, taking a sip of his latte. He was silent for another moment before saying, "to be honest, I was surprised you called."

She looked up at him finally, meeting his disarmingly golden gaze. "You were?"

He rubbed the back of his neck looking a bit sheepish for some reason. "Yeah. I mean, after- I didn't really think you wanted to see me again." His gaze dropped to the drink in his hand, his thumb running along the rim of his cup. 

She blinked at him, feeling at a loss. Was that why he hadn't called or asked her out again? He thought she wasn't interested anymore? Was that her fault? 

"What gave you that impression?"

He snorted, looking up at her like he was gauging if she was serious. "Well, I mean, I though you made it pretty clear what you thought of me after I took you back home."

She gaped at him. She was an idiot. "I wa- I just- I... _may_ have overreacted." She felt her cheeks heat with embarrassment, but forced herself to continue. "You were a bit... overbearing, but I've dealt with worse. I was angry, and I lashed out, but it didn't mean I wasn't still interested. I'm sorry if that's what you thought."

She sighed internally. There. He had apologized for what he'd said, and she was big enough to admit she maybe owed him an apology too. She'd been a bit harsh, as both her sister and Marinette had pointed out. 

He winced. "I'm sorry, again. I talked to Marinette about it afterwards and I realize I may have overstepped a bit with the whole ordering for you thing. I promise I'm not really that controlling, I trust your judgment, and that you know what you like and can decide for yourself. I guess I'm just used to women who typically look to me to make decisions for them. Force of habit, I suppose. Not that that's really an excuse. I shouldn't have assumed."

He snapped his mouth shut as if stopping himself from saying more. His face flushed a little and it was utterly adorable. "Marinette may have mentioned that as well," she admitted. "I'm sorry for being so harsh, it wasn't really warranted. I could've handled it better."

"I swear I don't see you as a prize or an object, and I promise I'm not the kind of guy who thinks paying for dinner or drinks or anything entitles me to a kiss or anything more." The words burst out of him in a rush, like he couldn't hold them back and he was anxious for her to understand him. 

A little surprised giggle slipped out. "Well thank you, I appreciate that."

They looked at each other for a moment, slow smiles spreading over their faces. At some point they had slid forward in their seats, leaning closer to each other, though she hadn't noticed.

"Well," Nino said, leaning back slightly, his entire posture relaxing. "Now that that's settled, you mentioned starting over?"

"Yes," she said, sitting up straighter. "I think that's probably for the best."

He smirked, holding out his hand. "Nino Lahiffe. Photographer, musician and sometimes idiot male."

She grinned taking his hand. She shivered slightly as their skin touched, a tingling sensation dancing up her arm. "Alya Cesaire. Blogger, aspiring journalist, and feminist who sometimes lets her mouth get ahead of her brain."

"Nice to meet you," he said giving her hand a shake. They grinned at each other, neither one letting go for a long moment. 

Finally, Nino dropped her hand but angled himself towards her as he took another sip of his drink. "So, our best friends went on a date tonight, huh?"

"They sure did," she said, tucking one leg underneath her and angling towards him as well. "I must say, Mari was looking fire in the outfit we picked out. Adrien looked like he'd died and gone to heaven. You don't still hate him do you?" She was pretty sure Nino had let go of whatever animosity he held towards Gabriel as he got to know Adrien better, but with all the craziness it was kind of hard to tell. 

Nino tilted his head like he was thinking about it, but the corner of his lip twitched in a smile. "I suppose he'd alright. He's growing on me," he admitted. 

She grinned. "He has that affect. I promise he's a good guy, and I've never seen him like this over a girl before. He really, truly likes her. He'll treat her well."

"He better," Nino growled, but she could tell there was no malice behind it. 

"So," she took a sip of her now warm cappuccino, studying him. "Musician you said?" She hadn't known that about him. She just thought he was a photographer. Though, now that she thought about it, she seemed to recall Marinette mentioning something about him DJing.

"Yeah, I play guitar and piano, but I mostly enjoy mixing music. I take the occasional DJ gig from time to time. Mostly parties. Birthdays, bar mitzvahs, that kind of thing."

_Interesting_. "How'd you end up in photography then?"

"I love photography. My mom bought me my first camera when I was ten. I like capturing how I see the world. Granted, I never really pictured myself as a fashion photographer, but I don't mind it. Eventually I'd like to do more free lance stuff."

"What kind of photography do you like?"

"Landscape, mostly. But I do like taking portraits if the subject is interesting." His eyes slid over her slowly like he thought she was an interesting subject and she felt her cheeks warm again.

An image of the two of them having a very private photoshoot flitted through her mind and she cleared her throat, pushing the thought aside. He smirked like he knew exactly what she was thinking. _Yeah_... that chemistry wasn't imagined.

"So photography is you're true passion then?"

"It is, though I still love my music." He leaned his elbow against the armrest, moving his body closer, unconsciously, she did the same. "What about you? Did you always want to be a journalist?"

"Sort of," she said, tucking her hair behind her ear. His eyes followed the movement. "Really, I used to want to be on TV. A news anchor. Adrien, my sisters and I used to stage fake news reports. Adrien did the weather, the twins did entertainment, Nora was sports, and I always had the breaking story." She smiled at the memory.

"Honestly, I'm not really sure how I ended up interested in investigative journalism. I guess it was sort of a natural progression. In university, I free lance articles to make money, realized I could make more by starting a blog, especially with the new feminist movement and... well, you kind of knew what happened next I suppose."

"But you're still not an investigative journalist."

Her initial reaction was to bristle, go on the defensive, but the rational part of her brain registered his tone. It wasn't a criticism, he was genuinely curious. "No. Not really. I'm still waiting for my breaking story I guess."

"Wouldn't it be easier if you worked for an actual news outlet? You'd get assignments."

"Eh, maybe, but there's no telling what kind of assignments I'd get. I could be stuck working the social beat after my fifteen minutes of fame as Adrien's 'girlfriend'." She shrugged. "I can do it on my own, I just have to keep my ears open, and maybe I'll catch a story before anyone else."

"Hmm. Well, for the record, I think you'd be a fantastic journalist. And really, after he way you handled the whole situation with Adrien, you could probably go into PR if you wanted to." She wrinkled her nose at the thought, making him laugh. "Fair enough."

Conversation flowed easily between them after that and they ended up spending several hours tucked away in the corner of the café, finally emerging to find the sidewalks wet. "Huh, must have rained while we were in there," Nino muttered as he looked around.

The fact that they'd been so preoccupied they hadn't noticed the rain made Alya smile. Despite, or perhaps, in spite of, all the unpleasantness between them in their brief history so far, she felt hopeful about their chances moving forward.

"Thanks for inviting me out," Nino said, stuffing his hands into his pockets as he turned to her. "I had a great time. I'm glad we're starting over."

"Me too. Thanks for coming." Her fingers fiddled with the hem of her shirt, a nervous habit she didn't often indulge in. 

Nino bit his lip, swaying slightly towards her, but made no move to get closer. Part of her was disappointed, another part of her liked the anticipation.

"Maybe we can do this again soon?" Nino asked. She bit back a smile at his hopeful tone. 

"Yeah, I'd like that."

He smiled. She smiled back. "Can I walk you home?"

She nodded and they fell into step beside each other chatting amicably as they walked on through the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Had some fun with this chapter. Snuck in a LBD quote for anyone who’s a fan. Also the scene with all the food was inspired by a story my dad loves to tell about my parents trip to Italy when something similar happened. It was always entertaining to hear so I figured I’d write it out for you guys 😊

**Author's Note:**

> As of now, I have no plans of writing any smut for this fic. I’m mostly rating it mature for language.


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